Coping with the sudden death of a singleton: Implications for China's one-child policy

Abstract

Discussion of China's one-child policy generally centres on its demographic effects, e.g., the ratio between males and females and that between adult children and dependent elderly parents (Festini and de Martino 2004; Hesketh et al. 2005). The psychosocial and identity issues surrounding the policy remain unexplored. This presentation focuses specifically on the effects on women of the one-child policy in China, particularly its effects on mothers who lost their only children during the Sichuan earthquake in 2008. The basic question is this: what is the impact on a woman's life chances and how does she reconstruct her identity when her singleton child dies suddenly? Three types of women were identified on the basis of eight case studies of bereaved mothers in 2010 and 2011: Type 1 (T1) refers to those who have given up their identity as mothers and are reconstructing a positive self-image by redefining their life goals; Type 2 (T2) refers to those who have regained their identity as mothers by getting pregnant again via bio-medical technology; and those in Type 3 (T3) have suffered a longstanding identity crisis because of the additional loss of the spousal relationship and their physical health. The findings of these case studies have implications for complementary support in other policy areas, such as healthcare, social services and bereavement counseling, if the one-child policy persists.