China and the One Child Policy: A Study of Cause and Effect

Here in America we take so many things for granted. Take the Bill of Rights. Do you know what it protects you from? What it allows you to do? The average American doesn't know their rights, and yet is still protected by them.

Now take China. Since 1979 China has allowed couples to have only one child. Whether or not you have kids right now, imagine the government told you you could only have one, regardless of how many you want. Now imagine you are Chinese, and culture dictates that families take care of each other, that your son or daughter will take care of you in your old age. That if you have a daughter, she becomes part of her husband's family when married. That culturally males are preferred for many reasons. What do you do? You have a boy, and you make sure you have a boy, thanks to sex selective technology. Now China has 119 male births for every 100 girls, compared with 107 to 100 in industrialized countries. That’s about 32 million more men than woman now in their 20s and 30s.

Cause: One child policy
Effect: Disproportionate sex ratio

After having your one child (probably a boy), you now get a surgical procedure to ensure that you don't have another child. Because if you do, you will be fined exorbitant amounts. Then wham!!! An earthquake hits. Your one child is one of the victims. You mourn, but your mourning cannot get you your child back. You try to reverse the surgical procedures you have had so you can get pregnant again. Maybe at this point you are too old to have another child. Now who will provide for you in your old age?

Cause: Natural disaster
Effect: Unnecessary surgical procedures, Liability to state

Hopefully by now you've figured out how to have another child, probably another boy. He grows up and starts looking for a wife. Except. Wait. Stop. Halt. There are no wives to be found. Thanks to the last 30 years of family planning in China, there are 32 million more men than women now. Where are all those women going to come from? Enter the runaway bride. She runs not from cold feet, but for cold cash. Families save up for years to pay the bride a set amount, called a cai li. Women will come to rural areas, get married, and run with the cash.

Cause: Disproportionate sex ratio
Effect: Surplus of bachelors

30 years of restrictive policy. Now all you want is a wife for your son and all your savings have just disappeared with the runaway bride. What are you going to do?