China’s One-Child Policy, Research Paper Example

Introduction

In the early 1900s, Chinese officials were alarmed by the growing population. As a result of the growing population, the Chinese government enacted one child policy in early 1979. The policy is currently in effect. There are various ways that the government enforces the policy from health care incentives to housing opportunities. Those violators of the policy face many disincentives such as fines and loss of educational access. With all incentives and disincentives, the policy is not one hundred percent effective. The primary goal of the policy was to ensure that the population did not reach 1.2 billion. The program promoted contraceptive and forced sterilizations. When researchers carefully examined the effects of the policy, it has been concluded that this policy has caused a spike in male births between the years of 1970-2000.  Researchers have also inferred that this spike in male births is due use of ultrasound technology which allowed parents to selectively abort female births. According to Short,

“Medical advancements and technology have played a key role in creating this surplus of boys. The Chinese government contracted with GE to provide cart-mounted ultrasound that could be run on generators so that the most obscure village had access to fetal sex determination. Given the ability to know the sex of their unborn children, many parents’ aborted female fetuses. Sadly, such abortions do not account for all of the missing girls in China” (Short, 2000).

Between 1990 and 2000, more than 3.4 million girl babies between the ages of newborn and 18 months went missing. Prior to the one child policy, females outnumbered male births in China three to one.  The introduction of new technology has greatly limited the female births in China.

Consequences

Some researchers believe that the drop in female births is due to other factors. For example, Oster (2005) conveys that the sex ratio distortion is a direct result of hepatitis rates in several geographical areas in China. Although many regulations have been put into place to protect from sex discrimination; however, statistics support the introduction of ultrasound machines has resulted in fewer female births (Short, 2000).  Although the use of ultrasound machines to determine the sex of a fetus in order to make an abortion choice is illegal, it is very likely that machines have been use for that very purpose. While in rural areas, many families just hide female births denying those girls many ethical rights. Yet, other girls in rural areas are just abandoned and left to die (Zilberberg, 2007).  One very prevalent consequence is that fact that men have a difficult time find wives. As a result of this factor, violent crimes against women have increased in various parts of China. More than 100,000 women have been kidnapped, sold, or raped in the country (Fong, 2002).

Discussion

The child policy has affected the people of China both emotionally and psychologically. In Chinese culture, mental and emotional health is not discussed publicly. Those who suffer from these ailments are frowned upon by society as a whole. In recent years, there has been research conducted on children who were victims of the one child policy. Astoundingly, they found that more than 65 percent of children of this era suffer from some form of depression (Chen, Rubin, & Li, 1995). Nearly 10 percent of those surveyed ranged in the severely depressed range. This increase in depression has been linked to the increased pressure that female children were faced with. In Chinese society, gender drastically affects the experience one has within the society. The child policy has directly and indirectly affected members of Chinese society.

References

Chen, X., Rubin, K.H., & Li, D. (1995). Depressed mood in Chinese children: Relations with school performance and family environment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 938-947

Fong, Vanessa L. 2002. China’s One-Child Policy and the Empowerment of Urban Daughters. American Anthropologist 104 (4): 1098-1109.

Short, S. E., M. Linmao, et al. (2000). Birth Planning and Sterilization in China. Population Studies 54(3): 279-291.

Zilberberg, J. (2007). Sex Selection and Restricting Abortion and Sex Determination. Bioethics 21 (9):517-519.