Geography: China - One Child Policy
By Charles Rodan
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Campaign to promote birth control |
1955 |
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Great Leap forward “A larger population means greater manpower” |
1958 |
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Introduction of the One Child Policy by Chinese Leader Deng Xiaoping. Been in place for more than 32 years. It is only applied to Han Chinese living in urban areas of the country. It does not apply to ethnic minorities. |
1979 |
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Harsh Enforcement tactic employed by Chinese officials, “Bureaucrats reportedly took sledgehammers to half a dozen towns, threatening to whack holes in the homes of people who had failed to pay fines for having too many children” and forcing pregnant women without birthing permits to have abortions and increasing the fines for disobeying the law. |
2007 |
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Total fertility rate since one child policy, starting at 2.91, in the past 33 years, it has reached 1.55 children per woman. The replacement value was originally 2.1. The Chinese government are intending to reduce the incentives of the one child policy to increase the fertility rate to at least 2.0. |
2012 |
-As it is traditionally enforced, couples are encouraged to have only one child.
- If the child born, is a girl, the parents would be allowed to have a second child (mostly in rural areas) in hope of getting a boy.
Encouragements (incentives): Higher wages, interest-free loans, retirement funds, priority housing and a school enrollment.
Penalties: $370 - $12500 fine, pressure to abort pregnancy, confiscated belongings, fired from work.
Exceptions: Families living in rural areas, children born overseas, ethnic minorities, disabled children, parents who work in high-risk occupation.
China is situate in the north eastern section, of Asia. China is bordered with Burma, Mongolia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia
You can see that the most populated areas of China are the areas in which there are the main cities, such as Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tianjin. The most populated area, shanghai and Hong Kong are coastal cities, which means that they have access to international importation or exportation.
The reason for the one child policy is because the country's population was rapily increasin, causing China to run out of resources to be able to sustain the needs of its population. The initiative was taken after the aftermath of the faline in the 1970's which caused 30 million deaths
Ever since the apparition of the One Child Polic in China, it has prevented the births of over 400 million people. This is about the same size as the population of the United States of America.
Chinas fertility rate before the One Child Policy was introduced,was at 4.5, ever since, it has dropped to 1.7, which is below the 2.1 births per woman needed to keep a stable population.
But their is a falling in the general fertility rate, China is going to experience the problem of a rapudly ageing society with not enough young people to care for them, to give taxes and pay for their medical needs.
The Advantages of the OCP
Their are many advantages of the One Child natalist Policy in China.
It is better for China's environment - Due to the fact that their will be less polution
Economic Benefits - Less people need to be taken care of, the "Little Emperor" effect, people working much harder. Much of China's population are quite poor and the incentive of having no children or one child, gives them economic benefits along with incentives.
Enough resources to be given to everybody - With a smaller population size, China is able to provide most of its people, resources which they require. With a population of 400 million people larger, China would be at a very high rate of poverty. Such as the 30 million deaths due to a famine 30 years ago. SInce they did not have the necessary resources.
Disadvantages of the OCP
Killing of innocent baby girls and illegal abortions cause of lack of women - It was said that the Chinese thought of men more superior to women, causing illegal abortions, since they want a boy.
Affects the only child - The main problem of the fact that the child is going to be brought up by himself, with a high risk of becoming a little emperor. Meaning that the child could become very spilt, brought up by saying that he is the best.
They will have difficulty interacting with other people due to a lack of interpersonal interaction. Many of them feel lonely and are easy to be in a blue mood compared to others who have siblings. It is not illegal to have a second child, it is just un reccomended since it causes a higher cost towards the every day life.
Sexism - Many couples and Chinese people thought that boys were better than girls, causing a lot of infanticide and abandones girls, due to this being very common and high, many jobs had been introduced, such as "Child Catches", which help/rescue abandoned children.
Ageing population - An ageing population has dramatic effects to the country in a long term effect, china will have a very high dependancy ratio causing many elderly people to not be taken care of since their would be too many of them