2014
Yidi Wu
- Doctoral Student
- University of California, Irvine
![Picture of Yidi Wu](https://www.acls.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/F3C932D5-DCDA-E311-9BEC-000C29A3451A.jpg)
Abstract
My dissertation examines Chinese student reactions to the 1957 Rectification Campaign, and its historical resonance with landmark years such as 1919 and 1989. I choose three universities across China to show how different local cultures affect student behaviors in political movements, and seek voices from activists and non-activists alike to illuminate the spectrum of participation in the student movement. Drawing upon archival documents and oral histories, my project investigates a nearly forgotten episode of student movement in the early Maoist era, and contributes to a better understanding of student activism beyond activist narratives and social movements in illiberal political settings.