The population of China was rising and many thought as a result of this, action needed to be taked. As Lawerence W. Green states in his journal entry “Faced with these demographic realities, the government formally endorsed the one-child policy in 1979”. These demographic realities were based off the baby boom seen in China post World War II (Green). Although some may see this policy as a benefit, the Chinese government should not have implemented the it. This policy was harmful for all demographics in China because it generally left women damaged, childrened strained, and the elderly impoverished.

Women were commonly damaged by pressure to marry and give birth, and the punishments of those of whom who attempted to have more then one child. The pressure to give birth and marry in Chinese cultures for women is a long-lasting tradition. In Chinese culture, the family name is transmitted through men, and women are generally encouraged and expected to join the husband’s family when they get married. Furthermore, in a culture where men taking care of the home is rarely seen, it often falls on the wife to take care of her in-laws often in the abandonment of her own parents (Feng). So, for women, the pressure to marry could be linked on the security of their health and wealth when they get older. This wealth is usually produced by the husband, seeing that females, assuming they get married like tradition has stated, will often pursue to take care of their husband’s family. But, since birth was only intended for one child, according to the policy, if a women were to try to conceive two, to increase their security net, they would often be punished. In certain areas of China, they would cause cruel punishment to those who would try to have two children. If they could not find the woman, they would tend to locate her family and cause them pain in her place. The torture turned so grotesque, that a resident in Linyi in 2006 remembers paying about 56,580 yen (500 USD) to keep his second son after having to hide his wife for many months (Guardian). This caused a huge issue. Couples were only allowed to have one child, and that child was under a lot of pressure. So much pressure, that it started to cause unnecessary amounts of stress for them to succeess.

Chinese students could swiftly find themselves under large amounts of stress often caused by the traditions of education excellence and parental or elderly care often provided by this younger generation. Because of the value put on child education in China, and the long-lasting traditions of the long school hours, it is quite common for Chinese students to come home feeling drained and exhausted. In addition to this, they may choose to give up extra-curricular activities to loosen some time to be able to study for the Chinese college admissions test. This nine-hour test for most parents will show how successful their kids will be (Guardian). This thinking is very harmful to kids. Although a strong work ethic is very healthy, the one-child policy boiled over and made artificial pressure on that one child. If this child (who presumably is a boy) does not grow up and get a high-earning job, he will not be able to take care of his parents. This puts lots of pressure on these children to do well, regardless of their gender, because Chinese parents may only have one shot at getting it right, and if they do not then the hope for the well-being of their parents is at stake. In rural areas of China, there is a saying that is commonly used, the English translation of this saying is “rear a son for your old age” (Attane). This does not only affect women but in some areas of China men as well. Since it affects both men and women, husband and wife, an elderly individual may feel like they are a burden. The elderly for the most part would not desire for their children to have to take care of them. In this case, usually the government would assist the elderly in order to leave them better off and take care of them. But in contrast, the Chinese government generally offers little assistance to the elderly.

The elderly in China could easily find themselves struggling because they have one of the highest poverty rates and they live in a culture where the younger generation is generally expected to provide financial care for their parents and grandparents. According to Helpage International “The rate of people 60 and older living in poverty in urban areas of China is 4.6%, compared with an average 3.4% elsewhere, but the rate for those living in poverty in rural areas is 22.3%, compared with the global average of 7.8%” (Malito). This statistic is one ascept that shows a general disparity between the social class of the elderly in other countries and that of the Chinese elderly. This could have a multiplicity of origins, but one reason could be linked to the tradition of elderly care placed on the younger generation. According to private research, when hospitalized, a child from that elder would pay an average of forty-six dollars a day for basic needs. Although the government has offered some aid, this still costs about fifteen to thirty-one dollars a day (Lithong). This may not seem like much, but if you take a median of twenty-three dollars, that would average to roughly seven hundred dollars a month. In spite of taking care of their own family, a family may have to reserve an extra seven hundred a month to take care of their parents or grandparents. This younger generation will generally continue to pay for their parents, but soon they themselves will become old. Because of this, their children or in-laws will soon be up next. Although this cycle is not guaranteed in any one family, this tends to be a pattern commonly observed during the height of the one-child policy.

There are many ways the one-child policy affected people in their respective areas. Some were affected financially, some were endangered, and some had so much weight on themselves, that they had to give up what they loved. There is so much to be said about this topic, this is only three small aspects. Although it was done, and it already had its effect, the Chinese Government should not have enforced the one-child policy to control the Chinese population because it left women damaged, children stressed, and the elderly struggling. 

Green, Lawrence W. “Promoting the One-Child Policy in China.” Journal of Public Health Policy, vol. 9, no. 2, Palgrave Macmillan Journals, 1988, pp. 273–83, doi.org/10.2307/3343010.

Feng, Emily. “China's Former 1-Child Policy Continues to Haunt Families.” NPR, NPR, 4 July 2021, npr.org/2021/06/21/1008656293/the-legacy-of-the-lasting-effects-of-chinas-1-child-policy.  

“Can China Recover from Its Disastrous One-Child Policy?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 2 Mar. 2019, theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/02/china-population-control-two-child-policy. 

“Nine-Hour Tests and Lots of Pressure: Welcome to the Chinese School System.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 22 Feb. 2014, theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/22/china-education-exams-parents-rebel. 

Attane, Isabelle. “China’s Family Planning Policy: An Overview of Its Past and Future.” Studies in Family Planning, vol. 33, no. 1, [Population Council, Wiley], 2002, pp. 103–13, jstor.org/stable/2696336. 

Malito, Alessandra. “How China's One-Child Policy Helped to Endanger Its Retirees.” MarketWatch, MarketWatch, 11 Sept. 2019, marketwatch.com/story/how-chinas-one-child-policy-helped-to-endanger-its-retirees-2019-09-06.

Lihong Shi Associate Professor of Anthropology. “China's 'One-Child Policy' Left at Least 1 Million Bereaved Parents Childless and Alone in Old Age, with No One to Take Care of Them.” The Conversation, 30 June 2021, theconversation.com/chinas-one-child-policy-left-at-least-1-million-bereaved-parents-childless-and-alone-in-old-age-with-no-one-to-take-care-of-them-162414.