17. Population in Modern China

Global Problems of Population Growth (MCDB 150)

Families lived together in traditional China and sons remained on the land; division of family land led to tiny plots and rural poverty. Because labor was so cheap, the country did not urbanize or mechanize. The Communist government started out with a pro-natal stance, but, after experiencing the famine of the Great Leap Forward, moved strongly to fertility control. Fertility declined rapidly in the 1970s, but to counter momentum, the one-child policy was introduced in 1979-80. Nevertheless, population has now risen to over 1.3 billion.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Population and Family Culture in China
09:47 - Chapter 2. Land Scarcity and Family Culture in China
19:50 - Chapter 3. Poverty and Imperialism in China
29:31 - Chapter 4. 1900s Population Explosion in China
41:38 - Chapter 5. The Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution
51:48 - Chapter 6. Family Planning Programs in China

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://open.yale.edu/courses

This course was recorded in Spring 2009.