What is the important implication of the ‘one child norm’ in China?
The one-child norm introduced in China in the late 1970s has several important implications. First, it successfully arrested the population growth in China, making it the major reason for low population growth compared to India and Pakistan.
Second, this measure led to a decline in the sex ratio, specifically the proportion of females per 1000 males. This bias against females is attributed to the prevailing son preference in the country.
Third, after a few decades, China will have more elderly people in proportion to young people. This demographic imbalance eventually led China to allow couples to have two children.
Explanation
The textbook clearly outlines three major implications of the one-child norm: (1) arrest in population growth, (2) decline in sex ratio due to son preference, and (3) an aging population with more elderly proportionally than young people. The context also mentions that this last implication forced China to revise its policy to allow two children. Students should mention all three implications for full marks.