In 1979, the one-child policy was implemented in China to regulate and restrict the size of families, late marriage and reproduction, and the length of time between children along with access to contraception and abortion (Qu, Hesketh, 2006, p.371). Additionally, a complicated system was created to enforce the policy through the use of financial deterrents for surplus fertility, such as of land allotment reduction, refusal of public services, and fines for unlawful births (Ebenstein, 2010, p.111). Since China is so populous and contains a substantial portion of the world population, it is essential to understand the extensive influence of Chinese policies on the population of the world. The one-child policy …show more content…
had undesirable effects on China’s age structure, gender ratios and economic and development outcomes so it was ineffective and not worth the unintended consequences. The one-child policy adversely altered China’s age structure. Since the policy reduced the number of children, the proportion of the population that is older and the ratio of elderly parents to grown up children have increased (Hesketh, Li, & Zhu, 2005, p.1174). About seventy percent of elderly people depend on their children financially because China lacks adequate pension coverage (Hesketh, Li, & Zhu, 2005, p.1174). More couples have to face the “4:2:1” phenomenon of having to support their four parents in addition to raising their child (Hesketh, Li, & Zhu, 2005, p.1174). Similarly, the sex ratio in China was disproportionately intensified by the one-child policy.
Increased fines discourage fertility but are connected to higher ratios of males to females (Ebenstein, 2010, p.87). Compared to average birth and mortality rates, a projected fifty million Chinese women were unaccounted for in 1990 (Ebenstein, 2010, p.88). The shortage of females has recently increased and male children younger than fifteen outnumber female children by thirteen percent, even though infant healthcare had improved in China (Ebenstein, 2010, p.88). The inequality could be due to sex selection since some couples in urban areas, where they are only permitted one child, choose the sex of their first child and couples in rural areas, where they are permitted to have a second child, particularly if the first child is a girl, begin sex selection with the second pregnancy (Qu, Hesketh, 2006, p.373). This happens mostly through illegal sex selective abortion, rare female infanticide, less assertive administration of infant girls who are ill, and girls not being registered (Qu, Hesketh, 2006, p.373). In some situations, Chinese parents, who have traditionally favored sons to daughters, rejected daughters upon birth” (Ebenstein, 2010, …show more content…
p.89). The gender imbalance is a pressing issue that seems to be getting worse and the China marriage market could develop into an even greater policy issue since Chinese gangs recently started to traffic in women from Vietnam and North Korean for potential husbands (Ebenstein, 2010, p.105).
Furthermore, women face a lot of cruelties linked to the policy, such as having their babies killed by squads, being physically forced to endure sterilizations or abortions, longing for additional children, being blamed by husbands and parents-in-law for having daughters instead of sons, facing surveillance, going through gynecological exams and mandatory contraception, being fined, and losing benefits or jobs (Fong, 2002, p.1101). The disproportionate sex ratio is an alarming concern that is particularly detrimental to women. Since China has an extensive past of gender tendencies and economic actualities that favor sons, it is doubtful that parents would fix the crisis of scarce by opting to change their fertility choices and in preference of daughters (Ebenstein, 2010, p.105). The sex ratio at birth could decrease if the One-Child Policy is eased and more parents do not have to resort to sex selection in order to have a son (Ebenstein. 2010, p.105). It is imperative that action be taken to resolve the disparity or it could be detrimental.
The Chinese have traditionally preferred big families and focused family resources to sons with daughters put at a disadvantage (Ebeinstein, 2010, p.89). Unprecedentedly, there are some girls in urban areas who benefit from being the only child because without siblings to compete with, they receive undivided support and investment from their parents since they are their parents’ sole focus (Fong, 2002, p.1098). There is a higher chance that they are supported to obtain higher education and challenging careers and when they have high-paying jobs, they are incentivized to work rather than raise children (Fong, 2002, p.1099). Women with fewer children are able to work and earn money to support their parents so they are more empowered and are able to get past prejudicial gender norms, especially if they do not have brothers to compete with for parental favor (Fong, 2002, p.1098). They are empowered to obtain substantial investment parents and accomplish what men typically did (Fong, 2002, p.1099-1100). It might seem like these gains that are exceptionally beneficial for women came with the one-child policy. However, empowering women is not the main goal of the one-child policy (Fong, 2002, p.1100). Only women who are in areas with existing opportunities for employment and education are empowered while women, in the countryside, are unfulfilled since for many women, opportunities continue to be unattainable (Fong, 2002, p.1099). These advantageous changes for women, although they may seem connected to the one child policy, are more likely associated with modernization and industrialization especially since mostly urban women are benefited.
Was China's one-Child policy a good idea? China's one child policy was introduced in 1980 with the fear of reaching the 1 billion population mark.China's one child policy was a great idea because it resolved China's population issue. The three main positive things that came from the one-child policy is population control, more respect for females and the environmental benefits.
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 ...
The adoption process can take more than one year and cost a family up to $18,000. Couples wait anxiously for the government’s approval, then the government assigns them a baby. Couples are given nothing more than a picture of the baby. They don’t have the child’s medical information, who the parents are, etc. Finally, three days after the arrival in Beijing, the couples get to meet their baby for the first time. Under Chairman Mao in the ‘50s and ‘60s, China’s population exploded. By 1980, Mao’s successors limited families to having only one child. Sometimes, families were allowed to have two. This was the largest human population control effort in human history. China’s population is coming under control, but there are consequences no one intended. Couples feel that they must have a boy because boys often carry on the family name, provide work and they stay with their parents at old age. Possibly, over 100,000 baby girls are abandoned every year. Many of them will end up in an orphanage. Today, 1in 4 children adopted overseas come from China. The babies adopted by Americans are only a fraction of the millions of girls believed to be missing from China’s population. While the number of girls are being giving away, the number of boys are becoming way out of proportion. Today, boys greatly out number girls and its only getting worse. This relates to cultural relativism,
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.
Document F examines the lives of 2 children effected by the OCP. They both felt it helped them in the long run, but all of the attention and pressure to do well was on them. This leads to the creation of the “Little Emperors.” This can lead to a poor ability of cooperation in the next generation. The amount of pressure on a single-child to do well can also lead to an increase of depression and suicide among the new generation, which is not the correct way to decrease population. Document B dives into the issue of fertility rates before and after the OCP takes effect. A year before the Policy takes effect China’s fertility rate is 2.7; in 2008 it is 1.7. This change is unnatural and extremely savage. Social issues are only the tip of the iceberg; the One Child Policy also caused a gender gap beyond
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...
In 1979, China decided to establish a one child policy which states that couples are only allowed to have one child, unless they meet certain exceptions[1].In order to understand what social impacts the one child policy has created in China it important to evaluate the history of this law. China’s decision to implement a Child policy has caused possible corruption, an abuse of women’s rights, has led to high rates of female feticide, has created a gender ratio problem for China, and has led to specific problems associated with both the elderly and younger generation. Finally, an assessment of why China’s one child policy is important to the United States allows for a full evaluation of the policy.
By 1980, although the birthrate in China has fallen to below 3 children per family, it was believed by a new regime of Chinese leaders which included Deng Xiao Ping, that forced and restricted population growth would lead to greater economic prosperity. This coercive policy influenced the family of the Chinese citize...
When the leader of China was Chairman Mao, formerly called the People’s Republic of China, the crude birth rate fell from 37 thousand to 20 thousand . This is when the One Child Policy First Started. Infant mortality had declined from 227 per 1000 births in 1946 to 53 per 10000 births in 1981, as well the life expectancy had a major increase from 35 years in 1949 to 66 years in 1967 . Until the 1960’s, the china government was encouraging families to have as many children as they can to raise population. This was because of Mao’s belief that a large population is what empowered the country; this was what started the preventing of emergence of the family planning programs that were earlier in China’s development. The population then had a major growth from about 540 million in 1949 to 940 million in 1976 . Then Beginning in 1970, people were strongly encouraged to get married at a later age and only have two childr...
Given the high sex ratio in recent China population report, the abnormally excessive male birth exemplifies the persistence of son preference on women’s fertility behavior. Son preference rooted in Chinese agriculture-based economy and historical feudalism, in consistence with the reliance on laborers and continuing the family line. Older people prefer to depend on their sons to get financial and physical support, while daughters are regarded as property of their husband’s family since the day of marriage.
Women of China have their own opinions when it comes to their families, being under a controlled government and being told how many children they can have only makes it harder if them. Also China’s Health Ministry estimates that in the four decades since the imposition of the one-child policy more than 336 million abortions have taken place in the nation. Nora...
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.
10. Yang, J., (2007). Local Variations of the One-Child Policy and Adolescent China. Journal of Population Studies.