Population Change - Case Studies

Population Change - Case Studies

1. Birth Control Policy: China One Child Policy

   • Reasons Needed
     • Previous governments had encouraged large families
     • Population was to big and unstable
     • There was a threat of starvation
   • The Policy
     • Introduced in 1979
     • Affects 2/3 of the population
     • They could get benifits
   • Enforcement of the policy
     • Very unpopular
     • Only allowed one successful pregnancy allowed
     • Fines big enough to bankrupt the family
     • "Granny Police"
     • Imprisonment
     • Forced Abortions
   • Effects of the policy
     • Positive
       • Population growth slowed down
       • Famine didn't happen
     • Negative
       • People wanted boys not girls
       • in 2000 90% of abortions where of girls
       • Girls where put in orphanages or killed
       • Not enough people to look after the older generations
       • 30 million surplus men
       • failing birthrate
   • Modern changes
     • Attitude to girls has improved
     • Rich family less effected
     • Ethnic minorities are excluded
     • People can apply to have a 2nd child if first is a girl
     • People on a farm can have 2 children
     • If both parents are only child's they can have 2 children

2. Non Birth Control Policy: Kerala, India

   • This policy try's to reduce birth rate by choose not force.
     • Kerala is SW India
     • Rich compared to rest of India
     • Family planning started in 1952
   • Policies
     • Land Reform
       • Every family get 8 hectares
       • No benefit from having a big family
       • Big families cause more problems
     • Education
       • Unlike the rest of India women are well educated
         • They are allowed to go to school and university
         • 85% can read
         • Woman with qualifications marry later so have less children
     • Health Care
       • Free Health care
       • Vaccinations for children
       • Extra retirement benefits for smaller families
       • Reduced infant deaths
       • Free birth controll
   • Effects of the Policy
     • Woman are treated as an asset rather than a problem
     • Kerala has had a been reduction in infant mortality
     • Kerala has had the greatest reduction in fertility rate in India

3. Pro-Natalist: France

   • Reasons
     • Falling birth rate since WW1
     • Educated and professional woman will marry later and have less children
     • State benefits funded older people
   • What the Policy dose?
     • Families given £1064 to have 3rd child
     • Woman given 20 weeks maternity leave for first 2 children then 40 weeks for 3rd
     • Fathers are given 1 year off for third child
     • Reduced travel on public transport for larger families
     • Cheep child care and Education
     • The more children a woman has the earlier she can retire
   • Effects of the Policy
     • The problem is still not fully solved but France now has the highest fertility rate in Europe