China: The one child policy

• To understand why the Chinese government wanted to lower the population

• To explain how the Chinese government did this

• To evaluate if the policy was successful- how does the policy affect people differently, what have they done to make the policy more fair?

• To condense our work into 1 page!

Anti-natalist policies

discourage child birth by removing financial benefits or imposing financial penalties on those couples who have more than one child. Massive contraception campaigns and adverts showing the benefits of small families may be launched. Policies can be very forceful and involve compulsory abortions and sterilisation and, in China for example, public denunciation and huge social pressure to have only one child

• China is a giant of a country and that description applies to both its land area and its population.

• During the 1970s the growth rate was rising at an alarming rate. There were fears of exceeding the country’s carrying capacity.

• In 1980 the government introduced the one-child policy which was rigorously enforced (Figure 12) – much more stick than carrot.

Very shocking but real pictures to follow

Ignored on the street

Left like trash on the road

Pedestrians just walk on by

Disposed of in a cardboard box

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0u7_afmT-8

Incentives and disincentives

What do these words mean?

What would the incentives and disincentives be with regards to the Chinese One Child Policy?

Advertising/Propaganda for the Policy

Figure 2. Billboard in Hebei Province Promoting Girls.

The advertisement reads, "There's no difference between having a girl or a boy — girls can also continue the family line."

English translation: One child, prosperous life

English translation: Up agricultural production, down population increase

English translation: The party calls for the partisan to set an example of having only one child.

English translation: It's better to marry and have children at a mature age.

English translation: Control our population at 1,200 million

'If I have one child it will be raised better. It will have more opportunities, and my career is the most important thing. I really want to excel at it.' Lu Zhufeng, a twenty year old medical student. 1970's

The number of men is thought to outnumber women in China by more than 60 million.

A shortage of females in rural China means brides are often bought

Effects on Children

Little Emperor Syndrome

Obesity

Spoilt

High expectations from family

• parents often still perform basic tasks for them: – fixing their hair – tying their shoes– wiping their bottoms.

• “They’re impossible to discipline”

• “Parents have a hard time saying no”

Little Emperors Syndrome

Was the Policy a Success?

Figure 1. Total Fertility Rate (Mean Number of Children Born per Woman) in China, 1969 to 2004.