Population Control Resulting in China's one Child Policy

Population control resulting in China's one child policy

The one child policy is a limitation on most families which is considered in the Chinese government the family planning policy. The policy was introduced in 1978 and applied to the first born children in 1979. It restricts the number of children married urban couples can have to only one child. In some cases, rich Chinese families pay a certain fee to the government if they want to have a second child. In rural areas, if the first child is a girl or has physical disability families are allowed to have another child. In other areas if the first child is a girl, then a second child can occur after five years. Additional children will result in large fines, loss of home , and getting fired all based on the income of the family. This policy only applies to local residents and government employees. The policy was informed to ease the social, economic and environmental problems in China, to recognize that population control was necessary to raise living standards. The one child policy is a bad policy because it creates a large number of poor elderly people, who would be better off financially if they had more children to assist with their financial support. This has caused negative consequences in increased abortions, unwanted kids put up for adoption, female infanticide and caused gender imbalance. However, recently the policy was over looked by the Chinese government and showed considerations on allowing families to have a second child.

Next, the 4-2-1 problem was introduced, "As the first generation of law-enforced only children came of age for becoming parents themselves, one adult child was left with having to provide support for his or her two parents and four grandparents" (wiki pg.6). It leaves older generations with higher risk of having to depend on personal savings, pensions, and if those fail they will have to depend on their small family for assistance. This creates a problem because if the single child is unable to care for their elderly relative, the oldest generation will not be able to survive as they desire. Many of the children are not mentally and physically prepared to take care of their parents, and unfortunately their grandparents as well.

Currently, this country's population is aging fast with the cause of low mortality rate because of the one child policy. Female infanticide is the killing of baby girls caused by a preference for a male baby which is illegal in China. Parents also abandon their unwanted children and many of them have to live in orphanages. Chinese families highly value having a male, rather than a female baby. They value males more so because in rural areas sons are more helpful in farm work. Sons provide more financial support for their parents in retirement and are cared financially more than his wife's parents. It also affects the gender that is either physically