The Kuomintang’s Mass Mobilization and “Emotion Work” – Mass Rallies of the New Life Movement(1934–1937) from the Perspective of the History of Emotions –

This article is part of a broader inquiry into the “history of emotions” in modern Chinese history. Specifically, it seeks to critically examine and test Elizabeth J. Perry’s hypothesis that the successes and failures of the Chinese revolution can be explained by “emotional” factors. To this end, the study focuses on the New Life Movement’s mass rallies—such as “citizens’ rallies,” “lantern parades,” and “commemorative ceremonies”—as key venues where the Kuomintang(KMT) engaged with the public. It investigates the extent to which the KMT considered and utilized public “emotions” in its mobilization efforts. In doing so, it draws particularly on the concept of “emotion work,” which the Communist Party strategically employed in its own emotionally charged mobilization of the masses.<br/> In the case of the 1934 “citizens’ rallies”, there was little room to apply the concept of “emotion work.” Citizens attending these rallies were viewed merely as “ignorant commoners(laobaixing)”, subject to control and moral instruction rather than voluntary participants. The public’s spontaneity was disregarded, the organizers maintained an authoritarian stance throughout, and the content of the rallies aimed primarily at instilling political ideology. Such control and moral indoctrination made it difficult for organizers and participants to experience any emotional solidarity, distancing these events from the notion of “emotion work.”<br/> However, the “lantern parades” that were held alongside the 1934 “citizens’ rallies” exhibited a different character. Participants in the parades staged various entertaining performances during the procession. These events offered citizens delightful spectacles and fostered a festive atmosphere. Many were reminded of traditional “miaohui(temple fairs)”, allowing them to empathize with the New Life Movement—at least for the moment. While the citizens’ rallies emphasized “authoritarian New Life discipline and indoctrination” and thus were removed from “emotion work,” the lantern parades expressed the ideals of “New Life” through engaging performances, thereby functioning as a form of “emotion work.”<br/> The problem, however, lies in the fact that these lantern parades, which played a crucial emotional role and were held in tandem with the 1934 citizens’ rallies, disappeared after 1935. Worse still, what replaced them was “large-scale inspections.” Across major cities nationwide, “commemorative ceremonies” were held in the morning, and instead of lantern parades in the afternoon, massive inspection marches took to the streets. New Life Movement officials inspected institutions, organizations, schools, shops, and even ordinary citizens to check whether they were practicing the ideals of the “New Life.” From the standpoint of emotional engagement, this approach went in the opposite direction of the festive and engaging lantern parades. When the New Life Movement formalized its public gathering strategies in 1935, the element of affective work was effectively eliminated.