Developmental Psychology Issue

Unlayao, Mariannel O. Developmental Psychology

2F1

China’s One- Child Policy

(Developmental Issue Analysis)

Having no sibling in the family is uncommon. In the Philippines and most parts of the world, it is quite rare to see families having only one child. However, there is one country that made this phenomenon common. More specifically, it has been made mandatory.

China, called as the “sleeping giant”, is the country that enforced the one-child policy. this policy is the attempt to decrease the size of the family, limiting to one child. This issue has been stirring opinions worldwide. Since its implementation, which is more than 30 years ago, the country has been facing many controversies.

In this paper, the one child policy is presented with in-depth explanation, investigating the issue with multiple perspectives on human development. The views on morality, personality, and social relationships on how this issue affects the family are discussed. Moreover, to understand the issue more clearly, the situation of an only child is explored, determining its advantages and disadvantages. The researcher relates experiences in growing up with no siblings. Lastly, the one child policy is examined on how it would work if implemented in the Philippines.

The one-child policy is a policy for population control in China. It limits the families to only one child. “It emerged from the belief that development would be compromised by rapid population growth and that the sheer size of China’s population together with its young age structure presented a unique challenge, (Kane & Choi, 1999).” This means that the country developed the policy to respond to consequences of continuing population growth. Socially, China’s younger generations, especially those born under the one-child policy in the 1980s and 1990s, have become the most critical segment of the population not only economically but also socially and politically (Feng, et al., 2012)

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