“As Good as a Boy” But Still a Girl: Gender Equity Within the Context of China’s One-Child Policy

Abstract

What would happen if gender inequality were suddenly and forcefully proclaimed to be non-existent by the authorities? The Chinese one-child policy has to some extent functioned as a unique social experiment to answer this question. Historically, sons have been preferred in China. Yet, with the restriction of one child per family, many people have been rendered sonless and forced to find solace in the well-known propaganda slogan: “Having a girl is as good as having a boy.” Delving into the life experiences of singleton daughters in urban China, this study reveals that, within nuclear families, daughters are in many ways treated as if they were sons, which demonstrates people’s potential to overcome previous gender discrimination when circumstances require. However, outside the realm of nuclear families, the treatment of daughters as akin to sons falters, dissolves, or backfires in various ways, revealing that true equality cannot be achieved without a radical confrontation and systematic adjustment of existing power relations. This study contributes to understanding gender equality in China while also serving to document lived experiences in relation to a unique policy that was recently abolished.

How the home learning environment contributes to children’s social–emotional competence: A moderated mediation model

“…For example, compared to boys, girls are more sensitive to the emotional messages conveyed by their parents and are more likely to conform to their parental beliefs and gender role requirements. This may lead preschool girls to reinforce and maintain ‘normalized’ pro-social behaviors in order to gain acceptance and affection from parents and others and to gain increased social–emotional development ( Wang and Zhang, 2022 ). However, it has also been suggested that enhanced parental beliefs and attitudes have a greater impact on social–emotional development in boys than in girls ( Wang and Zhang, 2012 ).…”

“…This initiative made parents attach great importance to their only child. Thus ignoring the gender differences in children ( Peng, 2020 ; Wang and Zhang, 2022 ).…”

Vulnerability to Poverty in Chinese Households with Elderly Members: 2013–2018

“…However, birth rates have decreased significantly since 1995, which means that during the early 1970s, it took six adult children to support one elderly. By 2035, each adult child will be required to support two elderly family members [36,37].…”