Educational Media Reviews Online

When Mao came to power in 1949 the population of China was 500,000,000. Thirty years later it had nearly doubled. Fearing economic hardship and social chaos the government instituted a one child per family policy in order to control population growth. According to Siri Tellier of the United Nations Population Fund, the Chinese government sees population control as a precondition for economic growth and social stability. With uncontrolled population growth, there will be no sustained economic growth, and without sustained economic growth there will be no social harmony. Thus the one child policy is considered to be a requirement for the advancement of the nation.

This documentary describes China’s one child policy and examines how it is affecting Chinese society. In particular it pays close attention to how the policy is impacting the family unit by contrasting the lives of affected families. Some of the families interviewed were very happy with the policy. Other families resisted. One rural family defied local officials and had a second child, a girl, who was then taken from them. When they persisted and had another child, a boy, they were fined the equivalent of four years income as a social compensation fee. They suffered this hardship as they desired a boy to help them on the farm and to look after them in their old age. The contrasting of rural vs. urban and factory workers vs. professionals is one of the strengths of the film.

Featuring interviews with families, doctors, teachers, and government officials this film moves beyond individual families and discusses other issues surrounding the one child policy. Among the concerns raised is a sense that the policy has created a generation of spoiled children; “little emperors and empresses” who lack a sense of fairness. Moreover, the societies’ preference for male children has resulted in a gender imbalance of 120 boys to every 100 girls. If this trend continues there could be an army of disgruntled single men threatening the stability of Chinese society. The use of coercion by local officials in enforcing the policy is also reviewed.

This film does a good job of personalizing some of the issues surrounding China’s one child policy. Family situations are discussed in perspective with the nation’s population growth. Loyalty to one’s family and personal preferences are weighed against loyalty to one’s nation. While not universally accepted in China and frequently condemned as a violation of human and family rights, the policy is pragmatic and is likely to be continued by Chinese government for years to come. This film is informative and should serve as a vehicle to promote discussion. It is recommended for viewers from jr. high through adult and to the libraries that serve them.