The government is again trying to insert itself into women’s childbearing decisions, knocking on doors and making calls with questions some find downright invasive.
The first time a government worker encouraged Yumi Yang to have a baby, she thought little of it. She and her husband were registering their marriage at a local office in northeastern China, and the worker gave them free prenatal vitamins, which she chalked up to the government trying to be helpful.
When an official later called to ask if she had taken them, and then called again after she did get pregnant to track her progress, Ms. Yang shrugged those questions off as well intentioned, too. But then officials showed up at her door after she had given birth, asking to take a photograph of her with her baby for their files. That was too much.
“When they came to my home, that was really ridiculous,” said Ms. Yang, 28. “I felt a little disgusted.”
Faced with a declining population that threatens economic growth, the Chinese government is responding with a time-tested tactic: inserting itself into this most intimate of choices for women, whether or not to have a child.
Officials are not just going door to door to ask women about their plans. They have partnered with universities to develop courses on having a “positive view of marriage and childbearing.” At high-profile political gatherings, officials are spreading the message wherever they can.
Well… Isn’t that ironic?
Too many spoons when all you need is a knife
Too many dudes when all you need is a wife.
Ass is the pussy of the twenty-first century!
It really did rain on my wedding day, but nothing felt ironic about it.
To be fair, the one child policy is pretty misunderstood by most people
Why because it didn’t apply to most Chinese families? A two child limit did for most though, and that’s still below the replacement rate. I think the irony sticks
Something you learn in flight school is how not to over-correct.
PID tuning is an art.
I love that all of the countries of the world tend to experience ups and downs with birth rate. However, only China, does away with the complexities of economic incentives, fiddly laws, educational programs, and delicate immigration policies. Rather, the government approach is simply, “stop having children!” “Now have more children!” “Go!”
Yeah there is no logic behind it whatsoever. China is egregiously bad in this regard, but not alone, that’s for sure. Conservatives the world over constantly fear monger about birth rates without ever actually trying to address the underlying social financial and cultural problems that prevent people from having children. The solution is always “yell at women to have more babies”, not “better regulate the housing market so people wanting to start a family can actually access homes with space for children”.
I’m imagining that scene of Family Guy with the “Smooooke” guy but instead it’s “FUUUUUCK”.
Why are you assuming they aren’t trying to make having children more appealing by expanding access to family planning services, healthcare, and childcare? The article literally says they’re also doing those things.
The only thing mentioned are the promotional campaigns and once, vaguely, “child-care resources”. And the ratio is far more in the former’s favour, which is useless. Same for women being pro- and against the government’s actions, with there being more focus on the complaints. And they actually get quoted, so they’re more trustworthy. I actually applaud them, since the supporters might just be doing it out of fear. No statistic to back up either though, but just about anyone will assume the Chinese government is fucking up privacy rights, as usual. There ARE quotes for that in here.
And the ratio is far more in the former’s favour, which is useless. Same for women being pro- and against the government’s actions, with there being more focus on the complaints.
This is an article not a poll. The author of the article can choose to focus on women who are unhappy with the government programs even if they’re in the minority. The author can also highlight aspects of the Chinese system that are more invasive than others. Assuming everything in the article is factually correct, you still cannot make assumptions about how Chinese women feel more generally.
You also cannot proclaim that the government did not pursue means of promoting having children that did not infringe on women’s privacy, as the comment I was replying to did.
I actually applaud them, since the supporters might just be doing it out of fear.
This is just speculation and it contradicts other assumptions you’ve made based on this article. You seem to think the women quoted in the article are representative of China as a whole except of course when it comes to their willingness to criticize their government. This kind of logic is unreasonable and will easily lead you to believe all sorts of nonsense. It’s not all that different from how republicans get swept up into thinking Haitian immigrants were eating people’s pets.
Why are you commenting? Can’t handle a dissenting opinions on something you feel like you’ve mastered?
Is anything I said wrong or are you just not very self aware?
But then officials showed up at her door after she had given birth, asking to take a photograph of her with her baby for their files. That was too much.
OUR children.
Lol they’re worse than my parents asking for grand children
It’s just one little lifelong commitment and millions of dollars… What’s the problem? Sure, the planets ecosystems are collapsing and the future may be horrific, but I want to experience grandkids, and you only exist for my desires and my needs!
If mine did that I would present them my vas deferens in a manila envelope with two little grease stains showing through the paper and sharpied in my off hand “The future you built when you voted for Reagan.”
Mine have all given up. I’ve always entertained the idea of adopting later (I had a vasectomy at 35 with no children prior for a number of reasons), but it’s looking less and less realistic as I creep closer to 50.
Last time my parents asked about it, I suggested I could go knock up a prostitute.
They haven’t asked since.
(I’ve been snipped since my late twenties… they don’t know that though. The break on insurance was great and I have. Intention of having kids anyway.)
Someone ran out of uyghurs at the shein factory 🙅
Will they impose forced births like in USA?
Well they imposed forced abortions not too long ago so I guess anything is possible. 🤷
Coming to the United States soon
I feel like a lot of that is the medical system’s job. I did get footprinted as a baby born in Massachusetts.
Yeah I mean the actually article also states
Some women told The Times they appreciated the outreach because they felt cared for. Women have also lauded other parts of the pro-fertility campaign, which include expanding child-care resources and encouraging men to help out at home.
All in all it sounds like there are efforts to make having children seem more attractive to young couples and some local officials are being overzealous about it. This is also happening in a context where abortion is legal, easy to access, and highly prevalent.
If I was a chinese girl, I’d be lesbian
If you were a Chinese girl you likely would have been murdered due to China’s one child policy back in the day 🤷
Apparently sons are worth more social credit or something idk.
idk
You really don’t.
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