One-Child Policy
Montag, 11. Oktober 2021
11:49
B.
What it was like to grow up under China's one-child policy | Nanfu Wang
1. Explain why the speaker was named "Nanfu"?
The speaker says that "nan" means "man" and "fu" means "pillar". Her parents hoped to have a
boy to be the "pillar of the family" and when she was born, they still named her "Nanfu"
anyways to carry the family name.
2. How did the government try to get all the people on board and embrace the one-child
policy?
The government would send local officials and order the mother of the family to be sterilized.
However, Nanfu's grandfather wanted to have a grandson to carry the family name, so the
Nanfu's family had been given another chance.
3. What did her parents have to do to have a second child?
The parents had to wait for five years, and to pay a substantial fine to eventually have a second
child.
4. Why did Nanfu feel guilty to have a brother?
She felt a sense of shame and guilt because herself and her brother were surrounded by
families who had one child, and with that she made herself believe that her family did
something wrong.
5. Nanfu interviewed an old midwife. What did the women remember best from her time as a
midwife?
She said that she did not remember a lot but, what she could remember is that she was full of
guilt by carrying out the one-child policy. She hoped that helping the families to have babies,
she could prevent what she had done in the past. As Nanfu finished her interview with the
midwife she found homemade flags, with each one having a photo of a baby. The flags were
sent by families who were helped with their infertility problems.
6. Why did the midwife preform the one-child policy?
She hoped that helping the families to have babies, she could prevent what she had done in
the past. In addition, she mentioned that she thought that by helping families, it would help
China's survival.
7. How did the government encourage the people to obey the policy?
To encourage the people to follow the policy was by having it printed on matches, playing
cards, textbooks, posters, everywhere which was on sight, and so were threats added to the
encouragement. One of the threats which Nanfu demonstrated to the audience was "Anyone
who refuses to sterilize will be arrested on sight".
Montag, 11. Oktober 2021
11:49
B.
What it was like to grow up under China's one-child policy | Nanfu Wang
1. Explain why the speaker was named "Nanfu"?
The speaker says that "nan" means "man" and "fu" means "pillar". Her parents hoped to have a
boy to be the "pillar of the family" and when she was born, they still named her "Nanfu"
anyways to carry the family name.
2. How did the government try to get all the people on board and embrace the one-child
policy?
The government would send local officials and order the mother of the family to be sterilized.
However, Nanfu's grandfather wanted to have a grandson to carry the family name, so the
Nanfu's family had been given another chance.
3. What did her parents have to do to have a second child?
The parents had to wait for five years, and to pay a substantial fine to eventually have a second
child.
4. Why did Nanfu feel guilty to have a brother?
She felt a sense of shame and guilt because herself and her brother were surrounded by
families who had one child, and with that she made herself believe that her family did
something wrong.
5. Nanfu interviewed an old midwife. What did the women remember best from her time as a
midwife?
She said that she did not remember a lot but, what she could remember is that she was full of
guilt by carrying out the one-child policy. She hoped that helping the families to have babies,
she could prevent what she had done in the past. As Nanfu finished her interview with the
midwife she found homemade flags, with each one having a photo of a baby. The flags were
sent by families who were helped with their infertility problems.
6. Why did the midwife preform the one-child policy?
She hoped that helping the families to have babies, she could prevent what she had done in
the past. In addition, she mentioned that she thought that by helping families, it would help
China's survival.
7. How did the government encourage the people to obey the policy?
To encourage the people to follow the policy was by having it printed on matches, playing
cards, textbooks, posters, everywhere which was on sight, and so were threats added to the
encouragement. One of the threats which Nanfu demonstrated to the audience was "Anyone
who refuses to sterilize will be arrested on sight".
