People who were raised as only children will be more likely to want only one child in their own family. Those who grew up without any siblings do not know what kind of bond siblings have. If people simply do not want more than one child, no economic or other stimulus will make them think otherwise.
In my personal view, China's problem these days can not be solved only by giving economic support (that's what is usually suggested as the solution, or at least believed to be a solution). The problem is much deeper.
Overall, in the article, ordinary Chinese people are talking and giving their personal views of the problem, what works, and what does not. However, these stories may contribute to shaping a particular representation of China, rather than reflecting its full diversity.
We can also see China as an authoritarian, controlling, and strict country. In the article, it is mentioned that the government tries to control this problem, and some attempts are very strict (for instance, it began to apply a value-added tax on condoms and other contraceptives).
“If we had changed the ‘one-child’ policy 20 years ago, it would be much better. Now it’s too late.” “The drop in birth rate is irreversible”. A reader can think that China is a country that "created its own problems" and is now facing the outcome.
In this article, we can also identify the "crisis/ consequence" frame. The one-child policy was the "solution" to China's demographic problems in the past. However, now China faces a bunch of consequences. In the article, people are saying:
and the economic context simpler. Also, it creates an image of "controlled East vs free West".
In this article, China's one-child policy is mainly represented as a human rights and demographic crisis. It emphasizes the state's control over this problem, in which way China is seen as a controlling and authoritarian state. This reflects elements of orientalism, as the article makes historical
I read CNN's article about China’s one-child policy. (edition.cnn.com/2026/01/01/c...)
#china #onechildpolicy
understand, but it can oversimplify the problem by putting the focus on symbols (like the barrier) rather than deeper causes (e.g., social media trends or global travel patterns).
litter the places, and especially "the black tarps to prevent hordes of people from taking the same viral picture of a convenience store. Through objectification, unfamiliar and complex problems of overtourism becomes simply and visible. It makes the issue for locals and foreigners easier to
This article about overtourism in Fujiyoshida shows how difficult the global problem becomes concrete through objectification. Instead of trying to understand overtourism as an abstract process, the problem is represented with visible elements, like famous photography spots, big amount of people who
I read this article about a Japanese town cancelling its cherry blossom festival due to overtourism.
#japan #cherryblossom #overtourism #tourism #festival
(www.cbc.ca/news/world/j...)
Yess
foreigners. In this way it is difficult to understand what benefits would come from publishing this information.
information would fuel xenophobia. Different authorities argue that this kind of information is already being collected. It is also mentioned that the crime rate among different nationalities is only half that of Korean citizens. That just means that Korean citizens commit more crimes than
In this article, it is discussed that conservative lawmakers want immigration authorities to publish the number of crimes that foreigners commit in South Korea. They want to know information like the nationality of the foreigner and visa status. Civic organizations say that this kind of
I read this article about how civic groups denounce the proposed bill to release crime data on foreign nationals
#southkorea #xenophobia #crime #foreigners
(www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/p...)
future family responsibilities. As a result, inequalities in employment continue because of social norms, showing that women’s lower participation is not just an economic issue but also influenced by lasting gender stereotypes.
and men as the main breadwinners of the family, leading women to assume they will do all the housework and prioritize family over career pursuits. These shared beliefs are not only accepted by women themselves, but also by the employers, who may discriminate based on assumptions about women's
This article on women’s labor market participation in China draws on social representation theory to illustrate how deeply rooted cultural beliefs about gender roles shape both individual behavior and labor market outcomes. Traditional social representations position women as primary caregivers
At this point, she has to choose. There are lots of traumas from the past, and it's not easy to escape. It could take a lot of time for China to recover, and there is also a possibility that it will never happen.
If you have one child, you are a ‘time bomb’ that will likely have a second child at any moment. If you already have two children, you are probably too busy taking care of the children to focus on your work.”
This kind of view of a woman who wants to work but also be a mother is disappointing.
When the two-child policy was in effect from 2016 to 2021, there was a popular phrase online that described the impossible situation of working women in China: “If you don’t have children, employers consider you a ‘time bomb’ that will explode twice [take maternity leave twice].
more abortions will be done in the future. The real problem is that China is one of the most expensive places in the world to raise a child. Women prioritize their careers, and it is not their fault, actually; you just have to put yourself first in this kind of economy.
Thirdly, they even put a new tax on contraception, like condoms, contraceptive pills, and other stuff. People are mad about this because these things not only prevent having kids but also prevent some diseases. And also, it is not a proper way to encourage people to have more kids. In this way only
People still do not want to have kids. Secondly, they are giving "600 yuan (£375; $500) for each child under the age of three. Some provinces also offer their own baby bonuses, including additional benefits and extended maternity leave". Again, this is not doing much work.
In this article, it is talked about how in China, there are fewer and fewer kids being born every single year. What is the government doing about it? Well, first of all, they changed the one-child policy to two, and later, the three-child policy. However, it did not solve the problem.
I read this article about China's low birth rate and what the state is doing to control it.
#china #birth #shrinkingpopulation
(www.bbc.com/news/article...)
