Page 573 - Sociology and You

Chapter 16 Population and Urbanization 543
into account. For one thing, India did not have Taiwan’s advantage of relatively rapid economic de- velopment. In addition, the Indian officials and plan- ners did not make enough efforts to overcome cultural and religious opposition to birth control. Nor did they find enough ways to effectively communicate birth control information and technology. Finally, the na- tional birth control program was left in the hands of individual state governments to implement.
Efforts to control population began to succeed in India only after the government turned to a steriliza- tion program in 1976. Although the government did not use the force of law, a system of disincentives had the effect of compulsion. Those who could not pro- duce official proof of a sterilization were denied such things as business permits, gun licenses, and ration cards for the purchase of basic goods (Weeks, 1999).
Have compulsory population control methods
ever been used successfully? Both China and Singapore have forced population control policies that seem to achieve their goals. China has been successful in reducing its total fertility rate from 7.5 in 1963 to 1.8 in 2001 through a system of rewards and punishments that includes a “one-child” policy. One-child families receive a larger retirement pension and enjoy preference in housing, school
admission for their children, and
employment. Families with more
than one child are subject to an
escalating tax on each child, and
they get no financial aid from
the government for the medical
and educational costs of their
extra children.
The island city-state of Singapore began formally dis- couraging large families in 1969. The government passed laws that penalized parents with large families (Weeks, 1999). These measures included
❖ denial of a paid eight-week maternity leave.
❖ loss of an income tax allowance.
❖ diminished access to public housing.
❖ increased maternity costs for each additional child.
❖ a lower likelihood of children’s entering good schools.
India’s population control programs have been only moderately successful at best.
China’s population control efforts have been very effective. This poster of a mother and baby was designed to promote small families.