Impact of One Child Policy for Chinese Society Research Paper

Impact of One Child Policy for Chinese Society - Research Paper Example This is due to the forced abortions and sterilizations in China. Moreover, the neglect and abandonment of a girl child in China has caused sharp criticisms against this policy. More significant is the fact that China’s one-child-per-couple policy has been included in the country’s legislation on demographic strategy (Chen 74). This research paper gives a critical analysis and discussion of China’s one-child-per-couple policy with a view of demonstrating its impact on the Chinese society. The background to this policy, conflicts arising out of it and the awareness of the generation on this policy and its impacts are also presented within the paper. Background of the Policy The idea of birth control was introduced in China in the 1950s by a group of various non party intellectuals. This idea is argued to be the origin of China’s one child policy. In the book, The New Population Theory, Professor Yinchu Ma in 1957 argued that the control of the population wou ld be the solution to the problems in child and maternal health. Professor Yinchu Ma also pointed out that the regulation of population growth will reduce the mortality rates within the society. The initial years of the Chinese New Republic was characterized by leaders who revealed support for the control of population growth. This is because leaders in the government attributed the country’s rapid growth of its population as a threat to its food surplus and economic growth (Waldmeir 1). Birth control began to be popularized, especially in the densely populated parts of China. Moreover, propaganda was included in the desire for birth control and reduction of population growth rate. This is demonstrated by the campaigns in the 1960s which popularized and promoted two child family and late marriage (Li, Junjian and Junsen 1535). The birth control policy in China grew from the voluntary birth control programs which were promoted by various social campaigns. Later, the control of population became a state based affair (McLoughlin 305). This was motivated by the rapid rise in the Chinese population, especially in the 1970s, when the additional 250 million people were registered within China. The state governed birth control began as an extension of abortion and contraceptive services to China’s rural areas. This extended into glorification long intervals between child birth, smaller families and later marriages (Chow, Esther and Zhao 37). These campaigns and programs yielded fruits in 1975 when the fertility rate in the rural and urban communities fell below 4% and 1.8% respectively (Yang 320). Nonetheless, the government officials depicted that further growth of the population was inherently inevitable. This is due to the fact that about half of the Chinese society was below the age of 21 years. This was affirmed by the 1982 census which disclosed a 1 billion growth in the Chinese population (Chen 75). Officials predicted that if the trend of populat ion growth persisted, the Chinese population would exceed 1.4 billion people in the turn of the century (McLoughlin 307). The rapid growth of the population was now seen as an apparent thereat to China’s ambitions and strategic plans for economic growth and modernization. As a result of this, in 1979, the one child policy emerged in China. This policy was announced officially in 1980 by the

The Reasons to Avoid Drinking Soda Research Paper

The Reasons to Avoid Drinking Soda - Research Paper Example Yet over the years, several organizations have started protesting against the sale of soft drinks in schools. For example, the Center of Food and Justice published a report in 2002 which called on the Los Angeles Unified School District board to ban soda as a consequence of increasing obesity and Type II diabetes among children. On the other hand, a Huffington Post article (Bennett) called for its readers to protest an alliance between Coca-Cola and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to help educate consumers how they can fit soda into a healthy lifestyle. For many doctors, this is a distasteful move because soda does not contain any kind of essential nutrients and does not help the body in any way. Yet, despite these allegations, people still persist in drinking soda because they are unaware of its health implications. Through a review of previous literature, the researcher hopes to show that soda is not only devoid of nutrients but it can also cause several diseases. Soda: Its Advantages One of the fastest ways to satisfy thirst is by drinking soda. It provides relief from the heat and in many cases provides the energy that one will need to get through the day. With the introduction of diet soda, people who are watching their weight can now get a sweet treat minus the calories. Aside from these advantages, however, there is very little of value in soda. To better understand this claim, a quick look in the ingredient list will reveal a lot of information. Eight of the most common ingredients used in soda include the following: carbonated water, food color, food flavoring, phosphoric acid, calcium saccharin, potassium benzoate, caffeine, and aspartame. Carbonated water gives the soda its fizz and tangy taste. It is used in many alcoholic beverages to increase the uptake of alcohol in the blood. As its name implies, this is plain water mixed with carbon dioxide. Carbonated water can occur in nature (also referred to as sparkling water) and in this form, can actually have health benefits. Unfortunately, the carbonated water used in soda has undergone an artificial process and it lacks the nutrients that sparkling water has. In an article posted at LiveStrong.com (Jannen), it says that the danger with carbonated water is that most people have the tendency to drink too much. Also, most health issues concerning carbonated water are related to bone density. In a 2001 study (Heaney) involving children and adults, it was found that intake of carbonated beverages, especially colas, is associated with higher risks for fracture due to increased excretion of calcium through urine. In the same paper (Heaney 346), it was also found that reduced bone mass is also due to increased intake of phosphoric acid. This finding is corroborated by another study done by Tucker, et.al. wherein the subject of research are men and women aged 30 to 87 years old. Just like in the 2001 research, Trucker, et.al found that increased intake of carbonated beve rages (particularly the caffeinated ones) caused as much as 3 to 5% decrease in bone mass density in both men and women (Tucker 937). Phosphoric acid, which is also found in soda, interferes with carbon absorption and is considered as a risk factor for osteoporosis. Moreover, the researchers discovered the same effects on both regular and diet cola varieties. Food coloring and food flavoring are purely synthetic materials and are processed with ammonium compounds which are my cause gastrointestinal problems.