The policy of only one child in China

Abstract

This article describes family planning policies in the People's Republic of China until 1979. The policy of only one child is framed within the most salient features of Chinese sociey, and stress is laid on the role of the family structure and of traditional and contemporary mechanisms of social control. The authors show that, despite the relative success of the family planning campaign in urban areas, the Chinese government has yet to reach the goals it set. This situation is accounted for, in historical terms, by changes in the fertility rate, and in ideological terms, by the weight of a specific traditional family structure. This research is mainly based on Chinese sources, as well as on fieldwork conducted by the authors.