AP Human Geography Unit 2: Modules 12-14

Antinatalist Policies

Policies that aim to REDUCE population growth by lowering fertility rates. (ex. China’s one child policy)

What was China like before the One Child Policy?

high growth rates, and their culture taught them that having big families was good, so when someone proposed the policy they were condemned. Chinese women on average had more than 6 children.

What was China like after the One Child Policy?

people had to pledge to have only one child, and the government had to approve of you having a child. The fertility rate dropped form 5.44 to 1.2.

Consequences of China’s One Child Policy

Changed family structure, Unbalanced Sex Ratios, and an Aging Population

Changed Family Structure(consequence of one child policy)

4-2-1 4 grandparents, 2 parents and one child. This will create a heavy burden on these children having to care for 6 people. Parents and grandparents will also be hurt more if that child is hurt or dies. Also, children now have no siblings, cousins, aunts or uncl

Unbalanced Sex Ratios (consequence of one child policy)

It is culturally desired to have a male child over a female. So when couples could only have one kid they obviously wanted a boy. Some couples bribed their doctors into telling them the gender of the baby (wasn’t allowed) and if it was a girl they aborted it. Or when they had the kid they abandoned the girl, leading to higher number of female orphans. This created an unbalanced, with a LOT more boys than girls. It was harder for men to find spouses, and this led to more human trafficking and violence against women. This was called China’s demographic time bomb.

An Aging Population (consequence of one child policy)

China was aging faster than it developed, so the government has implemented a social security system and built retirement homes and assisted living centers.

The End of China’s One Child Policy

China relaxed the policy to 2 children at first having some exceptions only if your first child had a birth defect or you were an only child yourself, but when they saw it wasn’t working they increased it to 3 children. Now they are trying to boost fertility rates.

What other antinatalist policies are there?

Egypt “2 is enough” and India Forced Sterilization

Egypt “2 is Enough”

pomised to pay women as long as they didn’t give birth to a 3rd child.

India Forced Sterilization

National emergency, and started anti natalist policy. Very strict, like forced sterilization. Many died, and many riots occurred. Finally it stopped when the country was no longer in an “emergency.”

Pronatalist policies

designed to boost fertility rates and ultimately population growth.

What are the challenges of a shrinking population?

labor force shortages, changing demands for goods and services, reduced capacity for innovation due to fewer younger people, high dependency ratios, and the rapidly rising cost of retirement and medical expenditures. It could even threaten national power and security.

Women’s Status

position in society

Women’s empowerment

women’s freedom to make choices and shape their lives

Aging Population

the population of a country or place ages as the number or proportion of its elderly people increases.

What are the 2 ways to measure population aging?

Median age and Percenage of people who are at last 65 years old

Median Age

the age that divides a population into two halves so that one half is younger than this age and the other half is older.

Percentage of People Who Are at Least 65 Years Old

the proportion of a population that is aged 65 years or older, often used as an indicator of an aging population. If elderly is over 20% of population it is then super-aged

Age-Selective Migration

the process by which individuals of certain age groups move into or out of an area, affecting the demographic structure.

What are the 4 consequences of an aging population?

labor force shortage, a rising elderly dependency ratio, a changing economy, and population decline

what is the Japanese term for “lonely death”?

kodokushi