| This study explores two questions regarding Chinese population and population policy: (1) What factors contributed to both the population explosion and the adoption of various population policies, especially the current only-child policy, in China? (2) What is the impact of the only-child population policy on Chinese families?;Focusing on the macro level policy formation process, the first part of this study discusses the political, economic, and cultural effects on China's population growth and on the formation of population policies since 1949. The second part of this study examines the consequences of the only-child policy on Chinese families by analyzing a questionnaire survey data set (N = 1130). This part of the study concerns the following: family structure and family type, child-centered family relationship, parental and inter-generational relations, child behavior and personality traits, old-age security, and popular responses to the only-child policy. Only-child families are compared with multiple-children families on these issues.;Major findings are (1) a couples decision regarding number of children has been influenced by the population control policy in place at the time. A couple's socio-economic and socio-political background have limited effect on the decision. (2) Among the only-child families, family relations are shifting from the traditional adult-centered to a child-centered relationship. (3) Because of the reduced number of children, the only-child families experience a closer relationship among three generations. (4) There appears to be no significant difference between the two family types with regard to child behavior and personality traits. However, only-child parents display a pattern of child overindulgence. (5) The popular response to the only-child policy is mixed, which may have contributed to the success of the policy implementation, and (6) the only-child policy has created a strong sense of old age insecurity among the only-child parents. |
