For many years, China’s rapidly growing population was on the uprise, predicted to surpass 1 billion people, during the early 1980’s. When Mao Zedong took control of China after a long-lasting civil war in 1949, China was a very poor country, with population growth at its highest. After facing extreme shortages of food and resources for many years, China’s government implemented the one-child policy around 1979, in order to manage China’s ever-growing population. Under the one-child policy, couples of the Han Chinese ethnic group, approximately 90% of the population, were limited to only having 1 child with exceptions. Although dissipating around 2015 becoming the two-child policy, many people argue if it is a good idea for the Chinese government …show more content…
to control how many children Chinese people can have? The one-child policy was a good idea for China for three reasons: economical, environmental, and social benefits. One reason that the one-child policy was a good idea is because of its economic benefits within China’s economy. In Document E it states, “Since 1979, the law has prevented some 250 million births, saving China from a population explosion the nation would have difficulty accommodating.” Since China’s population was increasing at such a high rate in the 1970s, if the One-Child policy was not put into place then China would have suffered a large “drag on resources” such as water, and food. Moreover, having only 1 child in a family creates widespread economic benefit.
Stated in Document D, “With no brothers to compete for their parents’ resources, these teens have been socialized to value educational and career success.” Provided with the necessary resources and education, singleton daughters are able to extend into the working force, and are less likely to raise a family at an early age. This evidence supports the claim that the one-child policy was a good policy because without the policy, China’s resources would continue to run out and deplete over time. In addition, being a singleton daughter allows women to be educated, leading to more skilled workers in the workforce, and an overall faster growing …show more content…
economy. A second reason that the one-child policy was a good idea is because of its improvement on China’s overall environmental standpoint.
As stated in Document C, “the policy is increasingly cited as an environmental blessing.” After the one-child policy was enacted, “the population controls have kept sulfur dioxide emissions down by 17.6%.” Sulfur dioxide is a major cause of asthma and bronchial infection and is a big contributor to China’s poor air quality. Lessening the sulfur dioxide levels helps promote a finer environment. Furthermore, population control has decreased the pressure on resources such as water and improved its overall quality. According to Document C, population controls have [reduced] water pollution by 30.8%. Cleaner water leads to safer and eco-friendlier environments, preventing the spread of waterborne diseases. This evidence supports the claim that the one-child policy was a good policy because cleaner water and less toxic sulfur dioxide levels in the atmosphere lead to a better environment. This creates a higher quality environment for people to live in and prevents the spread of disease and sickness. A final reason that the one-child policy was a good idea is because it benefitted social standards of people in China. In Document F, A. J. Song, an only child, stated how he “probably would not be living in Beijing if he had to share his parents’
attention.” A.J. claims how he was “the center of attention,” allowing him to succeed. With more kids in your family, attention cannot be focused and centered on one child. A.J. states, “If you have more kids in your family...probably they’re lacking lacking in any kind of support, no matter emotional or financial.” Another pro of the one-child policy was that it improved relations among people. As quoted in Document F, “Chinese research finds advantages to being an only child: They tend to score higher in intelligence tests and are better at making friends.” This evidence supports the claim that the one-child policy was a good policy because having an only child allows attention to be focused on the only child, gives them emotional support, and promotes relations among people, boosting social standards. There are reasons to not support China’s one-child policy. For example, many people might argue that acts of decreasing overpopulation, such as abortion and sterilization are immoral and violate basic human rights. People might also argue that the one-child policy has resulted in youth labor shortages. Although this is partly true, the overall benefits of decreasing overpopulation in total overweigh the inhuman acts of doing so. The economical, environmental, and social benefits of the one-child policy are also greater than the negative actions of enforcing the policy. In addition, the workforce has also benefited from singleton daughters. Singleton daughters have been provided with resources needed for further education, leading to more skilled women and workers in the workforce, with the education needed to excel in their career. All in all, the One-Child Policy was a good idea, as it profited the economy, boosted environmental conditions, and enhanced social relations in China.
With overpopulation you get environment problems like water pollution and sulfur dioxide emissions. According to Liu in document C “the population controls have kept sulfur dioxide emissions down by 17.6% and [reduced] water pollution by 30.8%. Without [the one-child policy], he says, the average person in Henan would a less land and a quarter less forest.” With the population control there is less water contamination which means less people will become sick from polluted water. Also in document C it states “Over 30 years of effort, we have put in place a systematic procedure for controlling the population. That has eased the impact on the environment.” This quote shows when the one-child policy was put in place the water pollution and sulfur dioxide went down which helped the environment
During the first half of 50’s government did not limit the population growth but did the exact opposite and actually encourage families to have more children. This was due to the Mao Zedong’s or Chairman Mao’s believe that more population would mean more economic development, more labor and more growth, however, late 1950’s changed that and that is when China began implementing first population control measures. As population reached 600 million Mao expressed his wish for population to remain in this level. Government soon realized that in order to keep population at this level, long term population control would have to be implemented. First they began by simply distributing various forms of contraceptives among general population. As famine of 1959-1961 struck the country it set the policy aside but as soon as country began to demonstrate signs of recovery the family planning campaign resumed where it left with distribution of contraceptives. By the late 1970s, China had experienced success in decreasing fertility rates by increasing the use of birth control under the slogan "Late, Long and Few". As a result China's population growth dropped by half between 1970 and 1976. Nonetheless, it soon leveled off, making government and officials seek more drastic measures and on September 25, 1980 an open letter by the Chinese Communist Party established One-Child Policy (OCP) also called Family Planning Policy (FPP). Nevertheless the OCP name is misleading since the policy allows for exceptions. For instance rural families with first child being disabled or being girl are allowed to have another child. Also, couples where both bride and groom are single children are allowed to have two ...
Feng Wang and Cai Yong stated that the fertility rate was already declining and the policy wasn’t necessary for the Chinese people, especially because of the enormous costs. The fertility rate, which is the number of children the average woman has in her lifetime, in China started at 2.7 in 1979 and decreased to 1.7 in 2008. The article “China’s One Child Policy at 30” argued that the policy did not need to be introduced in China because the rates were already lower than Brazil at 4.2 and Thailand at 3.6.
Imagine having to be told by the government that you were only allowed to have one child because of your ethnicity and then being forced to pay for an additional child if it happened. China fell under Communist control in 1949 with Mao Zedong leading the country. China had just gotten out of a bad war so Chairman Mao believed that the Chinese people should have as many babies as they could; he called this plan the Great Leap Forward. Soon, China was captured in a famine that killed nearly 30 million people, so Mao told the Chinese people to have smaller families. Mao Zedong created the One-Child Policy (OCP) to help prevent large families. It seemed a great idea at the time, but would soon lead to severe social issues, gender issues, and ironically, population issues.
One of the more extreme measures taken in an attempt to control population has been China's one-child policy. Population advocate Garet Hardin suggests the rest of the world adopt similar policies. This paper is to show a country's government acting on theories that Hardin is popular for and the ethical and environmental effects that it had on people and the land. Hardin fails to see the ethical problems laid out by governments that suppress peoples thoughts and beliefs.
Therefore the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and the State Council’s Resolution Concerning the Strengthening of Birth Control proclaimed the one child policy in 1980. This policy said “the state advocates the one couple has only one child except for special cases, with approval for second birth” (Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, 1980). The goals of the policy were to have zero growth in the country and maintain the population at 1.2 billion by 2000. China offered financial and marital incentives to couples with a child and suspended them if the couple had a second child. Despite being defined as a voluntary program, the policy was enforced through administrative controls (White 2006). Be...
After the People’s Republic of China was established several factors such as improved sanitation and medicine led to a rapid population increase. Initially, the population growth was considered to be an economic boom [2] because before it occurred the county had faced a century of wars and epidemics. However, by 1962, China started to promote the use of birth control. Later, in 1979 China was faced with a population that was growing out of control[3], and the government decided that in order to combat the extreme population that they needed to take action. Thus, the Chinese government decided to implement a one child policy.
My parents told me that they had a good life back at China, where they grew up, my father told me that they had a pretty nice life going on back there. Why they came here is beyond my comprehension, my father told me that they had a pretty good income back there, and life was good. Why they came here stumped me and make me thought why and so I asked, they gave me vague answers, but one of the reasons was because my parents were having their first child, which was my big sister. At China, there is this policy, the one child policy, only one child, it’s because China is overpopulated. Furthermore that boys were more favored than girls were. If they were to have an only my sister, I wouldn’t be born today nor my little brother. I later discovered that a good reason why to come here, for opportunity.
But why had China to control its population? From 1949 on, Mao Zedong feared war with the United States or the Soviet Union. “China’s millions [of people] were the country’s primary weapon against technologically superior enemies.” The Chinese population grew explosively, with a growth rate of more than 2% per year until 1970. Deng Xiaoping saw the problem in the population explosion and invented the one-child family in 1979. 1981 the one-child policy was introduced nationwide. This policy was effective in the cities, but in the rural areas the goal of minimizing population growth was unsuccessful.
China’s One-Child Policy was introduced 35 years ago on September 25, 1979, by the Chinese Communist Party. Deng Xiao Ping wrote in an open letter to limit the population growth in china. This policy constrains every couple in China to have only one child. Couples with a supernumerary child without a permit will be fined thousands of dollars or be forced into abortion.
China’s communist party created this policy in 1979 and has prevented over 400 million births with the use of forced abortions and sterilizations like Uzbekistan. In January of 2016, this policy has been changed into a two-child policy due to a realization that there can be an economic consequence to the failing birth-rate. Also, due to the fact that couples can only have one child, the future of China’s population can be a burden. Researchers stated, “The graying population will burden health care and social services, and the world’s second-largest economy will struggle to maintain its growth (Jiang, Steven)”. With the lack of production for more newborns, the population will gradually have a majority of elderly people within their society. The new population policy made add an increase in population, but it still puts a limit on the population. If couples had this policy lifted, it can make the overpopulation problem occur again. Therefore, this transition from one child to two children helps balance out under-population and overpopulation in
Li, J., & Cooney, R, S. (1993). Son preference and one child policy in china:
Over population has been a global issue for decades. Medical advances have made it possible for people to live longer and have multiple births, which are just some of the factors contributing to this social problem. Many countries have attempted to battle this issue, but none as intensely as China. China allows the government to have full control over family planning to help reduce the population. In 1979 China created a policy called the "One Child Law" which limits couples to only one child. Although the Chinese government hopes to curb the population boom and benefit society, the One Child Policy has morally questionable results, negative impacts on Chinese society, which should be changed.
During the rein of Mao Tse-tung China’s population was almost at one million. Mao allowed couples to have as many children as they please because to him, “of all the things in the world people are the most precious.”(Fitzpatrick 2). As the as the population continued to grow the government became concerned and decided that population control was necessary in order to remain able to support the citizens of China. Furthermore, the government feared there would not be enough food to upkeep residents. The next leader, Deng Xioping, created the “One Child Policy” therefore preventing families from having more than one child. On September 25th 1980 the policy was instituted. Subsequently this law has prohibited children and parents the experience of having a big family.
Rosenberg, M. (2010, 11 17). China's one child policy. Retrieved 01 31, 2011, from About.com: