'Birth' And 'Death' Of The One Child Policy: The Social Influences Of The One Child Policy On Individuals In China

Abstract

The one child policy is considered one of the most radical population policies in the last century. Although the policy was intended to control population growth, it also had social and economic consequences. Despite the national level influences of the policy, this thesis focuses on the influences of the one child policy on individuals in China. In order to collect individuals’ thoughts about the influence of the policy, I conducted 50 interviews in 2016 in China. All respondents are Chinese citizens and have been impacted by the policy in various ways. The interviews show that the one child policy has influenced Chinese people in different ways, on the national level. Individuals’ desire to have children, opinions about having siblings and the sex preference of children seem different among the younger generation born under this policy than for older Chinese.