What and when
The communist chairman, Mao believed that a booming population was a prosperous sign which will lead his country to success. However, Deng Xiaoping, his successor, a few years later in 1979 reversed that trend blaming the overcrowdings for a stagnant economy. This was when the policy was introduced.
The one child policy in China is the policy which was established in 1979 by the Chinese government in order to control its rapidly growing population. It aims to cut the population growth by reducing the fertility rate.
Chinese couples, were and still are enticed with rewards to have only one child and are punished for having more than one. There are howeve rome exception to thi rule, if the couple has a girl the couple are allowed to try again
Slide 2 where and why?
The whole of china is affected by this one child policy. However the cost of the fines forced upon couples who have a second child depends on which part of china they live in (see the map below).
The one child policy was set up in order to control its rapidly growing population. In 1979, China although it is not a terribly big country, was home to a quarter of the world’s population. If nothing was done about this it would have continued to grow. An overpopulated or a highly dense area has many disadvantages. This can lead to not only economic problems, such as lack of jobs. But also environmentally, more people more factories or more people bigger transport system. Or habitat destruction as more houses are needed to be built in order to house this population. This can lead also to social problems such as over large classes or large traffic jams… This is why it is important to control its growth.
Slide 3 How ? (quite a lot to include here a propaganda posters)
To entice people to have only one child the government has imposed rewards. Couples with only one child can be given a one-child glory certificate which allows the couple to certain economic benefits such as an extra month’s worth of salary for every year until the child is 14. Higher wages, interest free loans, better housing, better healthcare, retirement funds and many more enticements are given to couples who respect the policy.
But that’s not it, there are even penalties to those who have 2 or more children, fines (see picture on previous slide). Many people can’t afford to pay fines so have to give up their job, their land their livestock can be confiscated and even their house destroyed. The woman may also be forced to be sterilised. There have been many incidents of forced abortions if it is discovered that the child in thee mother’s womb is not her first. Each day in 2009, more than 35, 000 forced abortions were executed.
Slide 4 advantages of the OCP
Despite all of the harsh penalties 76% of the Chinese population supports the policy. It has to be said that it was a success as it cut down its population. It has been estimated that without the program there would have been 400 million more births. Since the launch of the policy to 2010 the fertility rate in china has fallen by 50%. In 2010, it was recorded at 1.54 children per woman this puts it below the world’s average rate by 1.02. The policy has lowered the density in China. A smaller population has many advantages such as an increase in food supply, better healthcare abd living standards, reduces unemployment…
Slide 5 disadvantages of the OCP
One obvious disadvantage of the policy is that children won’t have siblings. Men have always been considered in china superior than women, many baby girls have been abandoned or even killed by their parents in order for them to try again for a boy. China has now an unbalanced population, with mostly boys.
Many cases of forced abortion have been recorded in china. Is this ethically correct?
Another disadvantage is that china’s population is turning into an ageing one. China would have a high dependency ratio meaning that there wouldn’t be a bigger enough economically active population to be able to support the dependant generation.
