Chinas One Child Policy - Research Paper Example

China’s One Child Policy Introduction China's compulsory one-child population policy was initially established based on the 1980 population factors. The factors included signs of overpopulation (Chen 403). During this time, the people were happy with the revision of China’s prior cultural concepts. The citizens were eagerly wallowing in the government’s cultural success. The present 2013 China government’s cancelling the prior one child policy indicates the prior policy had several disadvantages. Basis for China’s One Child Policy Additionally, China's compulsory one-child population law was implemented in 1980. The same law punishes parents for having more than one child. The scientists from the Ministry of Aeronautics and Astronautics Department initially proposed the China's 1980 compulsory one-child population policy. The scientists capitalized on their missile construction concepts to prove their claim that China's compulsory one-child population policy will greatly benefit the residents. The family having less than two children has fewer rearing responsibilities. The parents have fewer growing up expenses to make in terms of the children’s educational needs. Scientific experiments are based on limited evidences. The scientists base their findings on the gathered evidences during the research. The Song Jian group of scientist incorporated their missile technology expertise to come up with China's compulsory one-child population policy. The Deng Xiaoping China government leaders were convinced by the scientific research findings of Song Jian’s group. China's compulsory one-child population policy was crafted based on some missile scientists’ many years of population-based findings. The findings were based on their 1960s and 1970s researches. Chairman Deng Xiaoping classified the scientists’ research social concept research findings as facts during 1980. The current China government under President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao prioritizes human rights and the value of people in enhancing the currently favorable China economy Human rights includes the right to have a second child (Chen 403). The current China government encourages the grassroots level people to vigorously contribute to the nation’s current favorable global economic environment. The policy change was expected. The government leaders during the 1950s, 1960s were most soldiers. During Deng Xiaping’s 1980s, Chairman Deng Xiaoping persuaded China’s engineers to help in the political management of China’s growing population. Starting in 1990, the government leaders were composed of economics and public administration graduates. The graduates were managing China’s control of the normal Chinese citizen’s lives (Chen 403). China’s one child policy created a gender imbalance in China (Li, Hongbin, Zhang, Junsen, Yi, Junjian 1535). The one-child China population policy generated a population situation where there were 104 boys more for every 100 girls during the 1980s. The research further indicated that there were 107 boys for every 100 girls during the 1991 to 2005 era. The primary data came from China’s official statistics-based department, the China Health and Nutrition Survey. China Chairman Deng Xiaoping’s new one child policy focused on reducing the population in order because of the scarce food and other natural resources (Wong 1161). During Deng’s 1980 leadership, several China quarters opposed the one-child policy starting in 1980. The policy drastically curved the uncontrollably ballooning Chinese population. Abortions, effects of China's compulsory one-child Population Policy China's compulsory one-child population policy was implemented through forced abortions (Mosher 1558). The pregnant women were forced to abort their prohibited unborn children. The government forced the helpless women to abort their child during different stages of the mother’s pregnancy. Many women had no other recourse but to comply with the seemingly harsh policy. The policy included forcing the abortion of their children during their 8th or 9th month of pregnancy. Some mothers were forced to kill the child immediately after giving birth. The Chinese government ordered the consequently incarceration of all female violators of the policy. Further, the Chinese government did not regret its one child policy. The government was able to establish the infrastructure needed to serve the people’s economic needs. Consequently, the government can fill the basic health and other needs of the smaller population. The government’s policy was able to prevent an estimated 398 million births during the policy’s compulsory implementation. With a lesser population there is lesser demand for agricultural products. Furthermore, a group of China scientists led by policy manager used the Dutch and United Kingdom population control policies as basis for proposing the China's compulsory one-child population policy. Song Jian also used the prior researches of cybernetics research and the Club of Rome demographers as scientific basis to control China’s uncontrollable population. Song Jian did not report on the shortcomings as well as the irreparable dangers of their espoused one-child policy. Cybernetics vs. Marxism Population Concepts Furthermore, the new cybernetics philosophy discarded China’s prior Karl Marx population concepts on population control. The Marxist philosophy indicated that the farmers needed a son to till the fields and help the family survive. Many China humanist philosophers preferred the Marxist population concept over the modern day cybernetics population concepts. The Marxist principles required government to include the comments, suggestions, complaints, and other inputs of the population when formulating government policies. Refusing to include the people’s population views removed the Marxism-based social context of the China's compulsory one-child population policy. During the 1979 the China government leaders stopped including the voices of the Marxist statisticians and Marxist humanist philosophers in the formulation of the government policies, including China's compulsory one-child population policy (Mosher 1558). Economically Better women of Modern China Additionally, China’s continuing economic affluence discouraged modern day women from giving birth to more than one child (Cao_etal 359). China's compulsory one-child population policy reduced the risks of environmental damage. Likewise, the policy reduced the social risks of overpopulation. A research conducted among an estimated 4,590 women within 19 China provinces showed that women with high income, high education, young age, good employment, and urban lifestyle preferred the one-child policy. Consequently, the average China individual’s age can be described as ‘aged’ population. Consequently, the aged population scene precipitates to social problems and unsustainable country-wide development. To resolve the current debacle, China’s new leaders are persuading the women to give birth to a second child. Economic aspects of China's compulsory one-child Population Policy Applying economics to China's compulsory one-child population policy, child rearing involves money. The parents will have to spend more to bring up four, seven or even ten children. To the poor farmer, bringing up only one child is more economically viable than feeding a family of 12 children. On the other hand, a family of rich and affluent parents can easily pay for the daily personal, education, medical and other expenses needed by a family of nine children. Present government Policy on population Currently the new Chinese government leaders moved to stop the one-child policy at its roots (Alcorn 983). The new leaders forming dissolve the government agency responsible for the compulsory implementation of China’s one-child policy, 32 years after the agency was established, on March 10,2013. A few days later, the National People’s Congress formally approved the dissolution of the agency. The government estimate showed that agency was responsible for preventing an estimated 398 million births during the agency’s 3 decades of operations. Moreover, the current China policy change is timely. The China policy aims to reverse the current urban China population’s preference for a one child family only. The modern day China woman is working in offices. Consequently, the women have lesser time for child bearing. With the modern day women being allowed to enroll in schools, the women prefer to devote their primary years to working in a business or other related work environments. Women with college degrees set aside plans to stay at home and serve the needs of the returning working husbands. Finally, the 2013 China policy reverses the abortion horrors primarily espoused to ensure only one child is born in the family. Benefits of having two or more Children There are many advantages of having more than one child. First, the family will have more help. Four children will better help the farmer till the fields than one child. Six children will surely better protect the family from wild dogs than one child. Having a picnic with nine children will more fun compared to having a picnic with one timid and shy child. Conclusion China's compulsory one-child population policy was initially crafted to benefit future China generations. With the reduced population, the future higher demand for food, jobs, and other necessities in life was curtailed. China's compulsory one-child population policy created an ‘aged’ China population. The same policy required the abortions of many women about to give birth to a second child. Evidently, The China government’s 2013 termination of the prior one child policy indicates the policy had some avoidable disadvantages. Works Cited Alcorn, Ted. "China's New Leaders Cut Off One-child Policy at the Root." The Lancet 381.9781 (2013): 983. Print. Cao_etal. "An Investigation of Women's Attitudes Towards Fertility and China's Family Planning Policy." Journal of Biosocial Science 42.3 (2010): 359-375. Print. Chen, Ling. "How One Child is Deemed Enough." Nature 454.7203 (2008): 403-404. Print. Li, Hongbin, Zhang, Junsen, Yi, Junjian. "Estimating the Effect of the One-child Policy on the Sex Ratio Imbalance in China." Demography 48.4 (2011): 1535-1537. Print. Mosher, Steven. "China's One-child Policy Itself Leads to Forced Abortions." The Lancet 380.9853 (2012): 1558. Print. Wong, H. "Just One Child: Science and Policy in Deng's China." Choice 46.6 (2009): 1161. Print. . Read More