In this dissertation, the overall impact of the One-Child Policy on Chinese population was analyzed with an economic model of household choice. This model predicts that an increase in the price for quantity of children (through the One-Child Policy) would decrease the demand for quantity of children and would induce a demand shift towards quality of children. The influence of this policy is further complicated by the presence of a strong son-preference culture in China. Therefore, the interaction between these two and its impact on gender difference were evaluated. Data is from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. A useful feature of this survey is the availability of detailed One-Child Policy information over a 4-year period from 167 communities in 8 provinces. The results show that Chinese women had fewer births due to the One-Child Policy, and the policy was associated with positive effects on nutritional intakes and height for age for Chinese children. However, the end result of this policy was greatly affected by the son preference culture. Its effectiveness in fertility reduction was hampered because many women kept having children until they had a son. Another serious consequence was that a higher than normal percentage of boys was born due to the policy. Although researchers have hoped that this severe form of prenatal discrimination against girls would make postnatal discrimination disappear, this study showed it not to be true---boys were given much more tasty food relative to their sisters. Other than the One-Child Policy, the role of socioeconomic factors, especially household income and mother's education, on fertility and children's well-being has also been examined. Although they have often been significant predictors on fertility in other cultures, neither variable was very important in China. However, both variables had a much stronger influence on children's well-being. In particular, household income and mother's education were much more beneficial to girls than to boys. These results reaffirm that some girls who have been able to survive the birth selection still bear the marginal status in the families. Therefore, postnatal discrimination still lingers on in China despite the presence of prenatal discrimination.
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