The One Child Policy In China

As U.S. citizens it is culturally acceptable to have multiple children but that is not the same in other countries. In China there is a one child policy that limits the number of children a married couple can have. This rule was first introduced to the people of China in 1979 (Levin). Just as expected there are several exceptions to this rule such as either spouse being an only child. If either spouse was an only child then it is legal for the couple to have a second baby four years after the birth of their first child and if the mother is over the age of 28 (Levin). Chinese parents must also obtain a “family planning service certificate” and a “birth permit” to ensure that all legalities of the policy were followed. A person of another culture that is not Chinese may not understand the cause for the one child policy because they are not accustomed to a rule like this. …show more content…
Since the induction of the policy the country has faced a wide imbalance in gender and age. This imbalance has been caused by Chinese citizens using various methods to have male children since the male child is more culturally desired than the female. “In 2012, there were about 40 million more men than women, including 18 million more boys than girls under the age of 15,” (Levin) which will cause problems later on down the road when those men are looking for a spouse. Also, China’s working force and the amount of citizens over the age of 60 are now at an all time high which is causing an elderly-care problem (Levin). Since more Chinese are working now than ever there is less time to care for their