The Art of Chinese Public Health Posters
Maoist China during the period between 1958 and 1976 was one of the world’s widest users of public health posters and announcements. It was almost impossible to go anywhere in the country without seeing some form of health poster telling citizens to do a certain thing or not do a certain thing in the interest of public health. Then, unlike now, China had a nationalized health care system. Today, China relies on a variety of health care options, including employer provided coverage (known in China as laobao yiliao) and individual health insurance policies.
The government at the time believed that when the citizens were healthy, the country was healthy and for anyone to not take their health seriously was an act against the body politic. The posters allowed the political powers of the time to bring a level of loyalty and conformity to its citizenry through behavior modification in matters pertaining to public health.
The Power of Public Health Posters
Though Maoist China has given way to the more modern Deng era since the 1980s, public health posters are still widely used throughout the country. During the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak, propaganda and public health posters were everywhere, calling for renewed unity against a national crisis.
Posters and newspaper headlines called out to the public to Help Fight Against SARS! A white face mask quickly became the unofficial international symbol of the SARS epidemic. By having many of the same graphical elements in the newer posters that were so prevalent in the designs of the older posters, the continuity of the message medium is assured.
Citizens take notice of the posters through a sense of public loyalty and responsibility passed down through the years. Many of the Fight SARS posters also had graphical elements from Maoist-designed posters in the background that were designed to show a variety of national strengths to the people. These were elements that were used throughout the entire Maoist period to show the power that the citizens, as a group, held. The elements denoted the pen (written word and history), shovel (industry), sickle (agriculture) and rifle (patriotism and national strength).
By having the country working towards eradicating a common enemy, the government builds loyalty and purpose into its citizens, getting the populace to trust their government to do the right thing. What more could a government ask for?
Tags: campaigns, health care, illustrations, maoist china, posters, public health
