What were May 7 cadre schools during the Cultural Revolution?

During the Cultural Revolution, May 7 cadre schools were institutions established to facilitate the ideological and behavioral reform of bureaucrats and intellectuals. These schools, which were typically farms operated by major urban units, served as a mechanism to reduce what were perceived as bureaucratic "airs" and to bridge the gap between intellectual and manual labor.12

Individuals sent to these schools were required to live in often primitive conditions for varying periods of time—ranging from several months to several years—during which they engaged in two primary activities:

• Rigorous manual labor: Participants performed physical work to identify with the laboring masses and overcome the perceived harmful effects of their previous education and social status.31
• Intensive, supervised study: Cadres underwent rigorous political indoctrination and study of ideology to ensure their alignment with the revolutionary goals of the Chinese Communist Party.1

By forcing bureaucrats and intellectuals to leave their offices for these rural settings, the leadership aimed to "cleanse" them of bourgeois attitudes and reinforce proletarian values through labor and political study.12