family life and population changes

Question 1

Population of China:

Answer 1

is almost 1.4 billion, more than one sixth of the world’s population.
population growth has been rapid

Question 2

what is done to curb the rapidly growing population?

Answer 2

gov introduced the ‘one child’ policy in 1979

Question 3

why was one child policy introduced?

Answer 3

to maintain population control and alleviate social, economic and enviro. problems associated with rapid growing population.

Question 4

what is the one child policy?

Answer 4

restricts no. of children that married urbans may have. It was so successful most likely to continue until 2018 (originally ‘one generation policy’)

Question 5

how many ppl affected by OCP?

Answer 5

due to exceptions and evidences of leniences, only 36% affected e.g. rural couples, ethnic minorities, parents without siblings and those affected by the Sichuan earthquake in 2008 are permitted more than one child.
can also apply for second if physically disabled or mentally impaired
however, gap myst be 3-4 years

Question 6

where was resistance to OCP found?

Answer 6

lowest in cities, where social and economic factors favoured family planning.
on other hand, rural society remained attached to traditional values of big family.

Question 7

what are the most sig. examples of C&C in Chinese family life and population since 1970s:

Answer 7

• declining family size:
• changing marriage norms and law:
• rise in divorce:
• changing family structure:
• declining birth rates and death rates
• gender inequality
• rural urban migration
• ageing population

Question 8

Declining family size:

Answer 8

average dropped to 3 children per family when before was 5.5

Question 9

• changing marriage norms and law:

Answer 9

improvement of womens right, no arranged marriage/freedom, monogamy, free to divorce. Average age of marriage risen due to modernisation and delayed child bearing

Question 10

• rise in divorce:

Answer 10

change marriage laws in 1981 issue of equality and allowed compensation in divorce

Question 11

• changing family structure:

Answer 11

increase in nuclear families and decline in number of traditional, extended families

Question 12

• declining birth rates and death rates

Answer 12

birth rates fallen since 1989, faster in wealthier and more urbanised provinces first
death rates fallen and stabilized, increased life expectancy - probs due to modernisation - ppl richer and healthier, educated tend to have fewer children and live longer

Question 13

• ageing population

Answer 13

reduction of death - population ageing.
though filial piety required by law, some fams wont look after their parents, which indicates a rapid changes in ideals and individualism.
growing western influence create conflict in values and priorities (despite collectivist upbringing)
elderly vulnerable without support networks and no pension scheme due to shrinking no. of children from oCP available to care.

Question 14

• gender inequality (OCP created many of the issues)

Answer 14

preference for boys lead to female infanticide, child abandonment and underreporting of female births, sex-selective abortion and imbalance in gender ratios.
program in response to this ‘care for girls’ to protect their rights and participation in society e.g. education

Question 15

rural-urban migration

Answer 15

largest urban population
ppl attracted to city for improving their quality of life, but hukou system of household registration bind ppl to their locality - move if permission
rural migrant workers often seen as ‘second class’with unfair treatment of them, although better off than ‘floating population’ denied access to edu and health care.