Red and Expert

During the Cultural Revolution there was a common slogan calling on people to be both "Red" and "Expert."

To be "Red" meant to be politically correct - to support the revolutionary objectives as defined by the Communist Party. These political objectives changed frequently so to be "Red" was quite a difficult task. People were challenged to "test" the political winds on a daily basis. often when the winds changed the definition of "Red" shifted from white ro black and from black to white.

To be "Expert" meant to be a specialist. An expert in a particular area. An expert was someone who was recognized as having specific and unique skills.

The balance between "Red" and "Expert" was less of a balance and more of a process to maintain one's "expert" status while being acceptably politically "Red."

I have always been puzzled by this until a friend pointed out that the real purpose of being both "Red and Expert" was to find a socially and politically acceptable balance which enabled an individual to maintain their social ranking as a non-political person in a highly political environment.

Many years later I have come to understand that the real significance of this "red and Expert" slogan was to provide a new social stratum. In Chinese society people are stratified from birth into a "track" which will potentially define the remainder of their lives.

Examples include:

Rural vs. Urban:

To be born into a rural family defines one's future in nearly every way. Rural Chinese have a specific definition. They are considered to be less educated, less sophisticated, occupying a lower social position than their urban cousins.

To be born into an urban family provides one with an a priori more beneficial position in Chinese society. One has more choices. One has more options. Rural Chinese respect urbanites but they also resent them.

This conflict is in many ways a natural one in many societies around the world. What differs in China is that there are fewer options for rural Chinese to cross over into an urban environment. A motivated rural young man or woman dreams of moving to the city but is often stymied by prejudice and an inability to shift their household registration to an urban location.

Higher Education vs. Vocational Education:

There are not enough seats in Chinese universities to satisfy the demand from applicants. There is not enough support from the government (education is still a government activity). There are not enough qualified teachers and professors.

Thus, a rigorous examination system is used to filter out "qualified students." The university entrance examination filter begins in elementary school. Students who are selected to enroll in "Key" schools are already on the university track. Movement from one grade to another is determined by year-end examinations. Good grades result in continuing to be tracked in the "Key" school path.

Once students reach their junior year in high school they spend their final year preparing for the university examinations. During regular classes and after school these students are among the most pressurized students in China. The family's future is dependent on how well students test !

The over emphasis on testing results in an education system characterized by memorization rather than creative learning. There is no time for creative learning when one's future is dependent on good test grades.

Rural students have, by definition, less access to the university track. There are however "affirmative action" like policies for minorities as well as poorer areas of China. Regardless of these policies students proceed only by achieving the highest possible test scores.

Family Structures:

The family in China is the basic social structure. Each member of the family acts within a predetermined hierarchy. This hierarchy is 3,000 years old. It is rooted in deference for elders. Each member of the family has a clear role to play in this structure.

From the time a new child is born into a family they are taught the roles and responsibilities of how the family structure works. Whether it is deference to grandparents or responsibility to support parents in their older age the roles and responsibilities are taught and reinforced inside the family on a daily basis. Thus the ties that bind a family together are learned by children as part of their upbringing. It becomes a natural part of the family rhythm.

Generalist vs. Specialist:

There are very few generalists in China. The population is too large. There is no need for people to be competent or capable across many different skills or abilities. It is more common that individuals are specialists in their viewpoints and capabilities.

The generalist or the liberal educated well rounded person is much less common in China.

The specialist who understands every detail of a skill or ability is everywhere in China. What ever the skill the person is considered an expert but ask that person about broader subjects and there is limited knowledge or ability.

In the west where the Individual is pre-eminent one succeeds by being more of a generalist because there is more emphasis on self-reliance.

In China where the Group is pre-eminent one succeeds by providing a key specialized skill or ability that can be woven together with the other members of the group to produce a positive outcome.


Whether one seeks to be Red or Expert, the choice is most likely based on one's surroundings - one's social environment.