The Chinese Single-Child Family Programme and Population Psychology1

Qicheng Jing
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Qicheng Jing: Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and also at Beijing University, China

Psychology and Developing Societies, 1994, vol. 6, issue 1, 29-52

Abstract: Following the Chinese population explosion in the early 1950s and late 1960s, the implementation of the single-child family planning programme in the 1970s caused a drastic decline in the natural growth rate of population in China. In this paper demographic data are presented to show population growth at various periods in Chinese history. The socio-psychological effects and problems encountered in the administration of the Chinese single-child family policy in recent decades are discussed. A population cycle caused by the abrupt change in population may last for 60 to 80 years until the mid-21st century. Around A.D. 2010 when there will be about equal number of children and old people in the Chinese society, a dilemma betweenparental investment and successor's investment may occur. The long-term consequence of the single-child family policy would be an aged society with more elders than children in society. A support system must therefore be designed as a mechanism to keep the Chinese three generation family system intact to care for the old. Grandparenting is suggested as a means to maintain inter-dependence in the family to cope with the dynamics of the changing inter-generation patterns. Classical Confucian ideology is considered important to maintain the traditional Chinese social institutions and ethical values.

Date: 1994
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:psydev:v:6:y:1994:i:1:p:29-52

DOI: 10.1177/097133369400600103

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