Investing in the Future: The One Child Policy and Reform

"The best interest of the child" : an exploration of the sociocultural agendas associated with the care of orphaned and vulnerable children in China."

“…From the 1950s to the 1970s, family planning campaigns led to an overall decrease in fertility rates, especially in cities, although the population continued to grow (Currier, 2008). These campaigns culminated in the "later, longer, fewer" initiative, where women were encouraged to have children at a later age, to have a longer interval between children, and to have fewer children overall (Greenhalgh, 2003).…”

“…In more recent years, however, as birth rates have reversed themselves, especially among urban couples, there has been a more relaxed approach to the One Child Policy (Currier, 2008;Greenhalgh, 2003;McLoughlin, 2005). Indeed, as urban areas have begun to enjoy unprecedented economic development, many families are able to have a second child as a result of their affluence (i.e.…”

“…With regard to the first category, Johansson and Nygren (1991) found that "adding the adopted children to live births reduces the number of missing girls by about half ' (p. 46). There is significant evidence to indicate the prevalence of the practice of aborting female fetuses following sex determination by ultrasound (Arnold and Liu, 1986;Currier, 2008;Greenhalgh, 2003;Johansson and Nygren, 1991;Wu, Viisainen,and Hemminki, 2006). Finally, data on registered pregnancies in Anhui province provide information on the mortality rates for newborns:…”

“…Thus, beginning in the mid-1950s, public campaigns were implemented to encourage women to limit family size. This focus on women as bearing the burdens of population control rather than on both men and women, has been a hallmark of China's policies, and has 7 resulted in criticisms related to the disproportionate price that women have paid under these policies (Currier, 2008).…”

“…The One Child Policy called for not just a reduction in fertility rates, but a reversal of them (Currier, 2008;Greenhalgh, 2003;McLoughlin, 2005). To this end, the Chinese government utilized a series of incentives for families who voluntarily limited themselves to one child, and penalties for those who did not.…”