The Cost of Control: Examining the Social and Psychological Consequences of China’s One Child Policy

The dissertation explores the profound social and psychological impacts of China’s One Child Policy on individuals, families, and society at large. The thesis opens with the overall analysis of population policies and the rationale behind the social science of population control, taking into account the experiences of different countries, such as India, Hungary, Kenya, Japan and Australia. We later shift the focus to the unique case of China, first describing the process of formulation and implementation of the policy, trying to understand the ideology, challenges and figures behind the social science of population control. Focusing on the psychological effects and social dynamics, this study focuses on the human experience, analyzing the impact on social relations and on individuals, by maintaining its primary attention on the human face of change. Although the demographic impacts of the policy have been widely studied, the purpose of this thesis is to comprehensively analyze the policy’s social ramifications and explore the multifaced social impact of the One Child Policy in China, with a specific focus on the role of individuals and how they have been impacted. This analysis examines the change in social realities, including fertility reduction, family relations, the evolving situation of population ageing and the intricate position of women, from the problem of gender imbalance to the growing female empowerment. Starting from data, this first overview maintains the attention on the role of people in these processes of change, by analyzing both how social dynamics impacted individuals and how individuals redefined their roles in this changing environment. The thesis also digs deeper into the matter, by shifting the focus from social changes to individual identities, trying to hear and describe the stories of the people who lived the policy, from the only children themselves to the aging parents and to all those women, both daughters and mothers, whose lives and freedom have been impacted forever. Through a combination of literature review, social analysis, and case studies, the thesis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how this policy, designed to shape society, has ultimately shaped the people within it, leaving a legacy that continues to impact the lives of Chinese families today.