Population Policies Flashcards
(15 cards)
Case study
China
What was the population policy?
Anti-natal population policy - One child policy
What caused this government policy?
Overpopulation.
China became overpopulated since 1960 because of:
- Social/cultural desires to have a son.
- Economical bonus: men could work in the field; children considered to be social security.
Politics: People were encouraged and had kids to build a stronger China against America.
Improvements in medicine: Previously China had a high infant mortality rate, which once solved increased the birth rate significantly - In 1965 the birth rate had grown to 40 births per 1000.
When was the policy announced?
Politicians realised the growing problem and launched the One Family One Child Policy in 1979.
How was it enforced?
Encouragements:
* free contraceptions
* free education and health care for one child
* salary bonuses
Penalties:
* Forced abortion
* Expensive Fines
* No free education or health care
* Not allowed to buy a house
What were the 3 positives of the policy?
- Better access to education creating a skilled workforce
- Less strain on social services such as healthcare
- Low urban poverty as people did not have to take care of large families + more employment opportunities
What were the 3 negatives of the policy?
- Female foeticide - Parents killed daughters as they were not as desired culturally, and did not provide an income to desperate families; - This lead to an abnormal and imbalanced sex ratio of 115 men to 100 women.
- Forced abortion when women were found to be pregnant for a second time. Estimation of 400 million births prevented (not necessarily aborted, but avoided due to the policy)
- Lack of working population to support old dependents - 4:2:1 ratio of grandparents: parents: children
Exceptions to the policy?
Han-Chinese allowed a second child under some circumstances, ie. if one died or they had govt. approval for a second
Rural areas were less strict and enforced, and sometimes if a female was born working families were allowed to have another to send a boy to work on the fields.
Ethnic minorities - policy was enforced less on areas where there were concentrations of ethnic minorities such as Tibetans, Zhuang etc.
why did this occur
Communist Party came to power chairman Mao wanted China to become a stronger nation leading to population increase which led to not enough food and resources to provide for whole population leading to a famine death and policy to reduce population through restricting births
What happened after China realised the population was too big
In 1970s two child policy was introduced but there still was enough
What happened after one child policy
In 2015 two child policy was reintroduced in urban areas
in 2021 may three child policy across whole country to lessen impact or falling birth rate
in January 2023 couples in the province of city one can now have unlimited children
Birth rate before one child policy
21 per thousand per year
Birth rate after one child policy
12 per thousand per year
Fertility rate before one child policy
5.3 children per woman
fertility rate after one child policy
1.7 children per woman
