China, Youth: the Princess Problem.

Deciding what to write about for this subject (youth/school) was something of a challenge. While in Shanghai with Prof. Ma, I had a great opportunity to experience China's university students first hand. I was invited to speak to two classes at the East China University of Political Science and Law. We discussed the tension between liberty and security and I saw how they do things large and small. Our public colleges could have it so good.

The longer I stayed in China, however, the more I became convinced that there was another, more interesting subject for this post: the social impact of the one child policy. What I call China’s Princess Problem.

Until now, when I thought about the one child policy, I always thought about it in its resource allocation dimension. China is a big country physically. One of the largest on the planet. The other big countries, US and Russia, are and have long been world powers. The other two big countries, China and Canada, both had population problems limiting the potential their geographic size created. Canada's population is too small and China's too large.

China resolved to do something about it. Over time they would reduce the size of their population by restricting family size. A couple could only have one child without penalty. The math works great. Over three generations 4 grandparents become 2 parents then 1 child. By the time that child becomes the grandparents you have potentially reduced your population by 3/4. Resources do not need to be spread so thinly. Less becomes more.  It is, of course, the kind of policy that can only be accomplished by an authoritarian state - but that's China. They can do it and they are doing it.

What was interesting to me are some of what I presume are the unintended (but in retrospect predictable) consequences of this policy. I know it's startling, but almost every child in China is an only child! They grow up with the undivided time, attention and affection of not just 2 parents but 4 grandparents.

Are they a little spoiled? How could they not be? Particularly given the rapid expansion of the Chinese standard of living. People are beginning to have some disposable income and their only (grand) child is often the repository of choice. It's not just the trinkets, though we saw kids soaking those up enough. It is also the hopes, dreams and expectations. The kids are under great pressure to succeed, to marry and to produce that only grandchild.

Sometimes it seems it all goes wrong. The newspapers had lots of articles complaining of spoiled youth – materialistic, self-centered, ungrateful. Stories of the young becoming estranged from their elders and their culture.  In a society where you are expected to care for elders this is a big deal - but it is also a tall order for one (grand)child spoiled or not.  Six elders expecting attention. The math is tough.