The document discusses China's one-child policy, including its history, implementation, effects, and criticisms. It was introduced in 1979 to control China's rapidly growing population, limiting most urban families to one child and rural families to two if the first was a girl. Methods of enforcement included fines, forced abortions and sterilizations. While it succeeded in slowing population growth, it has also led to societal issues like a disproportionately large elderly population, increased gender imbalance due to female infanticide, and a "little emperor" complex in only children. The policy has since been relaxed and moved away from coercion.

1. What links the following four things:
Russia June 12th
A Baby A SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle)

2. EU Baby Blues
France
case study
given in
2nd lesson
& Russia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4837422.stm

3. What is the link between these maps?

5. What is the link between the 4
slides?

6. Lesson Objectives:
1) To be able to explain the one child policy and how it was
enforced.
2) To understand the effects of the policy and evaluate
whether it was successful.
Link to syllabus:
Understand attempts to manage population change to
achieve sustainable development with reference to two
case studies of countries at different stages of
development.

7. China’s One Child Policy

9. China -Factfile
• 25% of the world’s population
• 7% of world’s arable land
• 8% of the world’s water supply
• LAWS: 1979 – One child policy
*1980s – parents in rural areas may have 2
children if the first is a girl.
*1990s – city parents may buy a permit
(costing one year’s wages) for a second
child
*Punishment: abortion, mothers held in
detention centres, sterilization, fines eviction
from home

10. History of the One Child Policy
• 1950s: In the early 1950s the philosophy of the
Chinese government was ‘a large population
gives a strong nation’. The government wanted
many children to be born.
• 1959-61: Up to 20 million people died in a
famine including many children.
• 1960s: There was a population boom. The
population increased by 55 million during the
decade ( roughly the total population of the UK)

11. • 1974-79 – Policy change, now
encouraged to reduce with the slogan
‘wan-xi-shao’ ( later, longer, fewer).
• Later marriages
• Longer gaps between children
• Fewer children

12. • 1980s: Asking families to have fewer
children during the 1970s had not worked
so in 1979 the One Child Policy was
introduced. Strong pressure was put on
women to use contraception. There were
even people known as ‘granny police’
whose job it was to watch their neighbours
to make sure they were taking the pill. If
they suspected women were pregnant
without permission they were reported to
the authorities. Some women were forced
to have abortions and sterilisations.

13. • 1990s: The policy has been deemed a failure.
At a meeting in Peking in 1989 delegates were
told there would be around 120mn more
Chinese people than had been planned. It was
relaxed slightly, as it was difficult to enforce &
also government worried about an ageing
population, with few young to support.
• In remote parts still encouraged – Guangdong,
the state capital ordered 20,000 abortions &
sterilisations by the end of 2001 in mountainous
Huaiji.
• 2006 – annual growth fallen to 0.6%, but fertility
still at 1.6. Moved away from coercion to health
orientated policy & promoting mother & child
welfare.

14. Government Propaganda for the
One Child Policy
For those with one child:
1. Free Education for your one child.
2. An extra months salary per year until
your child is 14.
3. A house normally reserved for a family of
4.
4. Pension benefits.

15. • For those with 2 children:
1. No free education
2. No allowances
3. No pension benefits
4. Payment of a fine to the state from
earnings
5. Demotion at work, or even
unemployment

16. • To help you:
• 1. Women must be 20yrs old before they can
marry.
• 2. Men must be 22yrs old before they can marry.
• 3. Couples must have permission to marry.
• 4. Couples must have permission to have one
child.
• 5. All hospitals have family planning officers.
• 6. Family planning is available at work.
• 7. Redundant country people are encouraged to
move to towns.

17. You tube video – The Higher
Costs

18. Missing girls – You tube video

19. Effects of the One Child Policy
• Birth control measure seem to be working in the cities.
• In the Shaanxi Province there are 145 males born for every 100
females born = kidnapping commonplace in rural areas &
prostitution & sex slaves commonplace in cities.
• This leads to large numbers of unmarried men.
• The baby boom of the 1950s means China has a large greying
population.
• The policy means there are low numbers of younger people to
support the old. ‘Little emperor syndrome’
• Children with no brothers and sisters receive a great deal of
attention – spoilt.
• In rural areas problems have risen as they need the children to help
on the farm. They go to great lengths to ensure the first child born
is male. If the first child is a girl the child may be disposed or killed
(female infanticide)
• Increased divorce rates – divorced used by men to ensure male
heir.

20. What about a one child policy in
your country? - it's the best thing
for the environment!