Yang Yinyu (1884-1938) : China's first female university president and the educational reforms in her era
This thesis recreates the life and world of a misinterpreted female educator, Yang Yinyu, who is portrayed as a counter-revolutionary villain in contemporary Chinese middle-school textbooks. Little is known about this individual except that she was the target of a radical student movement that aimed to expel her from her position as the president of Beijing Teachers University for Women in 1925. Despite being the first female university president in Chinese history, Yang was accused by the student protesters of being 'feudal' and 'conservative'. The influential left-wing writer Lu Xun, then a professor at the university, criticised Yang as a 'ruthless mother-in-law' and supported the students' violent protest. As Lu was promoted by the Chinese Communist Party as a 'spiritual leader' after 1949, his critiques shaped historians' understanding of the anti-Yang movement and its role in the history of the Republic, in both Chinese and Western academia. This thesis deconstructs this historical myth-making. By exploring the scattered materials left by Yang in the cities in which she lived, across China, Japan, and the US, it puts the pieces of her world together. It argues that Yang was a dedicated educator, who
Ding, Yiyun
Yang Yinyu (1884-1938) : China's first female university president and the educational reforms in her era. This thesis recreates the life and world of a misinterpreted female educator, Yang Yinyu, who is portrayed as a counter-revolutionary villain in contemporary Chinese middle-school textbooks. Little is known about this individual except that she was the target of a radical student movement that aimed to expel her from her position as the president of Beijing Teachers University for Women in 1925. Despite being the first female university president in Chinese history, Yang was accused by the student protesters of being 'feudal' and 'conservative'. The influential left-wing writer Lu Xun, then a professor at the university, criticised Yang as a 'ruthless mother-in-law' and supported the students' violent protest. As Lu was promoted by the Chinese Communist Party as a 'spiritual leader' after 1949, his critiques shaped historians' understanding of the anti-Yang movement and its role in the history of the Republic, in both Chinese and Western academia. This thesis deconstructs this historical myth-making. By exploring the scattered materials left by Yang in the cities in which she lived, across China, Japan, and the US, it puts the pieces of her world together. It argues that Yang was a dedicated educator, who
yang china first female university president educational reform era life world misinterpret female educator yang portray counter revolutionary contemporary chinese middle school textbook little_know individual except target radical student movement aim expel position president teachers university women despite first female university president chinese history yang accuse student feudal conservative influential left_wing writer professor university criticise yang mother law supported student violent protest promote chinese communist_party leader critique shape historian anti yang movement role history republic chinese western academia historical myth_making explore scattered material leave yang city live across china_japan put piece world together argues yang dedicate educator