Case study- One child policy

• Measures taken by the Chinese government to control population

  1. Birth control (contraceptive, sterilization and abortion made easily available)

  2. Education/Campaigns (educate public on one-child policy and incentives)

  3. Rewards (10% salary bonus for couples with one child, priority in education, health facilities, employment and housing)

  4. Penalties (fines, reduction of salary, loss of government jobs, return of paid bonuses)
• The one-child policy was successful in urban areas
• The one-child policy was not successful in rural areas
• High cost of living and long working hours in urban areas contributed to the success of the one-child policy
• Shortage/limited housing in urban areas contributed to the success of the one-child policy
• Women pursuing high education and careers in urban areas contributed to the success of the one-child policy
• Positive consequences of population control

  • Reduce in population growth rate due to practicing of birth control
  • Reduce impact on environment from deforestation or air pollution due to traffic congestion
  • Increase economic growth due to increase involvement of women in workforce as more women are allowed to have educational opportunities
• Negative consequences of population control

  • Human right abuses where women are forced to have abortion & sterilisation
  • Female Infanticide by parents
  • Overindulgence of the only child by parents
  • Increase in children abandoned by families
  • Gender imbalance - more male than female
  • Social problems-grow up without brothers or sisters → self-centered
  • Single child supports more elders reduce quality of life
• Birth rate


  Number of babies bornper thousand the population per year
• Death rate


  Number of people who die per thousand the population
• Infant mortality


  Number of babies per thousand who die before their first birthday
• Natural increase


  Number of births minus number of deaths
• POPULATION TERMS


  • Population
  • Birth rate
  • Death rate
  • Infant mortality
  • Natural increase
• Deaths rates more than birth rates
• Natural decrease


  Birth rate equals to death rate
• Life expectancy


  Length of time that the average person is expected to live
• Under population


  Too many resources and not enough people
• Over population


  Too many people and not enough resources
• Optimum population


  An equal balance of people to resources
• Population density


  Number of people living per unit area
• Population distribution


  The way population spread out in the region other dersely, moderately or sparsely
• Migration


  Movement of people from one place to another place
• Net migration


  Immigration minus emigration
• Rural urban migration


  Moving from rural areas (kampong) to urban areas (bandar)
• Urban rural migration


  Moving from urban area back to rural areas
• ONWA


  Shows age and sex structure of population
• Population growth


  Natural increase plus net migration
• Population pyramid


  Shows age and sex structure of population
• Young dependents


  Young people under 15 years old who are still at school
• Old dependents


  Older people who are over 55 years old andre not working anymore
• Working population


  Working people whose age are between 16-54 to produce goods and services
• Dependency ratio


  Number of dependents divided by the working population
• Demographic Transition Model


  Theory that describes changes, that happen to a country as it passes through different stages of development
• Ageing (greying) population


  Problems caused when there is a high percentage of old dependents in a country
• Population policies


  Policies set (made) by the governments to control population growth of a country
• Shanty towns (squatters/sums)


  Illegal houses built by migrants on vacant land next to main roads or industrial areas. They are made up of scrap tin can wood. No electricity, sewage and water. High risk of diseases and low life expectancy
• Push factors


  The factors which makes people want to leave an area
• Pull factors


  The factors which makes people attracted to an area