Chinese+Family+Life

**__Chinese Family Life __ One Child Policy- Jenna ** China has always been a magnificent place that attracts many people but is the one child policy making this gorgeous country turn sour? This one child policy that China made effects normal family life because it reduced China's population, decreased the number of females, and there was a whole generations of people without siblings. This policy was not made to be bad; it was made so that China would not be over populated. Unfortunately, many people are disagreeing with the one child policy and the Chinese government is deciding whether or not this policy should still exist in the future. China’s new one child rule has led its population to a major decrease that is still going on today. Due to the fact that a couple can only have one child the population is nearly decreasing in half. There are both positive and negative effects of a reduced population for Chinese family life. A positive effect is that family’s can afford more pleasures because instead of having to pay for the needs of two or more children...they only have to pay for the needs of one. Another positive affect the policy had on China’s family life was that people did not have to be killed or tortured in order to keep the population lower than it is. Some negative affects of the one child policy is that China had a huge decrease in females and now there are many sibling-less people. These all affect family lives because this policy determines the future for generations

The one child policy has caused and still is causing the female population to decrease, not so much because they are not being born as much as males are, but because they are being abandoned and killed in order to have a son as a child instead of a daughter. In China the belief is that boy children are of higher honor and valued more. Thus because family’s are only restricted to one child they abandon, neglect, and or kill their daughter making it possible for the couple to have a boy. Not only that, but for every 114 boys being born, there are only 100 girls. The decrease of daughters also leaves to fewer women to get pregnant and have children with, so fewer families are made. Also decreasing the population and affecting family life. Besides all of that, the rules that go along with this one child policy create generations of sibling- less people.

Some may think that not having a sibling is a blessing, others may disagree. But it is the way that the government makes sure people do not have siblings that makes the whole process foul. In many cases, sterilization and other methods are used to prevent women from having more than one child. The policy has been so successful that the government is allowing couples who do not have siblings to have more than one child. Parents would also kill female infants.

In conclusion, the one child policy has positive and negative affects. Either way there is not a doubt that the policy influences and changes China’s family life. This policy has existed generation after generation. Still, the policy’s success remains. The government may decide to end the policy soon in the future.

Chinese Marriage Rituals By: Harry

There is a big difference between the way people in the United States and the people in China get married. In the US men and women go out on dates and fall in love and then they decide to get married. In China getting married is about ritual. Chinese marriage rituals go all the way back to ancient times and still remain to be the way they get married today.

Chinese marriage rituals include three letters that are sent between the future husband’s family and the future wife’s family. The first letter is a request letter. The husband’s family sends a request letter to the future wife's family proposing a marriage. The second letter is a gift letter sent by the husband’s family, to formalize the request. The third letter is a wedding letter sent by the husband’s family. There are three letters all sent by the family of the groom sent to the family of the bride.

Chinese Envelopes. (Online Image) Available [] March 26, 2009. After that there are six rituals which are followed. These rules (etiquettes) which are basically, the formal method of marriage which are made up of the "proposal, the birthdates of the bride and groom, the price that the husbands family will pay for the marriage of the bride, the wedding gifts that will be made, arranging the marriage and the arrangements of the wedding ceremony."

Wedding Gift. (Online Image) [] March 26, 2009.

These "etiquettes" are required by custom and describe how the marriage process will run. These six etiquettes have to comply with the marriage process. Most importantly, the birthdays of the bride and groom have to match according to Chinese custom. Once that is determined, then the gift is given. After that the families get together to arrange the wedding and the ceremony. This is required by Chinese custom and these steps are always observed and honored by the parents of the bride and groom. This is required by and according to the customs of the Chinese people.

In modern times, this custom is seen as honoring the past. However, this custom historically was designed to control their family place in society so that, a marriage did not diminish the family's status in Chinese society. In ancient history the Chinese had a class system where your family heritage defined your place in society. In the past, higher classes of society were reluctant to lower their class status by permitting there children to marry outside their class. So, they arranged marriages between their sons and daughters within their class of people.

Chinese Wedding. (Online Image) [] March 26, 2009.

In modern day America, parents wish their children to marry people that they love. And mostly, accept their children’s choices. Most American parents only wish that their children will marry for love and find happiness with their husband or wife. The issue of maintaining some kind of "purity" of their economic class is not as much an issue for them as the happiness of their children and the continuation of their family line.



Works Cited Chinese Envelopes. (Online Image) Available [] March 26, 2009. Chinese Wedding. (Online Image) [] March 26, 2009. “Chinese Wedding Customs.” Chinese Poems. 24 Feb. 2009 <[]>. CNN.com- Asia. 10 Mar. 2008. 11 Mar. 2009 <[]>. Rosenberg, Matt. "China's One Child Policy." About.com: Geography. 18 June 2008. 11 Mar. 2009 . "The Effect of China's One-Child Family Policy after 25 Years." 15 Sept. 2005. 11 Mar. 2009 . “Three Letters and Six Etiquette-.” Jongo Knows – Encyclopedia of China. 24 Feb. 2009 <[]>. “Traditions of Arranged Marriages in China.” China Style. Library.thinkquest. 24 Feb. 2009 <[]>. Wedding Gift. (Online Image) [] March 26, 2009.