Gender Equity and Fertility Intentions after the One-Child Policy

            Reflection Journal       Student Name Department, University Course Number and Name Instructor Name Due Date
Reflection Journal The Dual Demands: Gender Equity and Fertility Intentions after the One-Child Policy             In this article, Zhou (2019) starts a critical conversation that cannot be avoided in China after the government ended the one-child rule in the nation. This change occurred after the country went through a highly questioned period where the Chinese Communist Party enacted a policy barring anyone from exceeding one child. The 1980 approach was termed intrusive into the family life while creating an optimal population for a robust economy. Unfortunately, this technique saw China’s fertility rate become so minimal that the need for rescinding this rule became fundamental. The primary concern about the changing perceptions after the recent regulations by the government is that people would be treated differently due to the status quo within workplaces and other social spheres. Unfortunately, just like the introduction of the rule triggered diverse challenges, the lifting has brought various social issues affecting both men and women differently.             A reader interacting with this article can quickly identify the emerging problems in China’s post-one-child era. They include discriminatory work practices, disadvantaging the labor market, and financial burden. As a social studies student, these events reflect similar ones occurring in other developed nations that covertly promoted comparable policies with China. Once people and institutions became used to fewer work-related interruptions due to birth-related expenses such as extended maternity and paternity leaves, re-introducing these elements triggered diverse challenges. This understanding explains why both men and women highlight that they feel they do not have both finances and time for embracing the second birth. The scenario is even more concerning for the women because they have to grapple with hiring practices that systematically discriminate against them as employers plot to escape the costs and disruptions associated with multiple childbirths. This aspect contributes to the more extensive gender debate about the issues facing women in the labor market. It raises concerns that governments have not done enough to facilitate women in navigating the multiple births and career journey seamlessly without being victimized.  Challenging Myths About China’s: One-Child Policy             Whyte et al. (2015) challenge various myths related to the one-child regulation in China. The authors acknowledge that the population debate in the country has remained one of the leading divisive and controversial topics for decades. Its projected impacts have caused its replication beyond its borders as the global communities joined...