Question

Document F
Source: Jaime FlorCruz, “China Copes with Promise and Perils of One-Child Policy,” CNN, October 29, 2011.
Xiao Xuan
The high cost of the one-child policy is felt deeply by Beijing resident Xiao Xuan, an only-child daughter of a college professor and shopping mall manager. Xiao, 22, says she was blessed with all the attention and resources showered at her from childhood.
Still, she says, she had a mostly lonely childhood. “I used to cu! my$elf on my wrist after being yelled at by my mom and dad because I didn’t know who I should talk to or turn to,” she says. “I was like that for almost two years, but I am very tough so I made it through.”
“I hate to say it but the one-child policy should partly be blamed for some social issues of youth today,” she adds. “It’s been a ridiculous government interference on family issues.”
She wished she had a brother or a sister to share all the attention.

Note: An Internet survey of 7,000 Chinese only children between the ages of 15 and 25 found that 58 percent admitted to being lonely. A majority also described themselves as being selfish. However, many enjoyed being the “sun” around which the family revolved. (Source: NPR, November 24, 2010.)


Source: Louisa Lim, “China’s ‘Little Emperors’ Lucky, Yet Lonely in Life,” NPR, November 24, 2010.

A. J. Song
“I really appreciate [being the] one child, especially from the countryside,” admits 23-year- old A.J. Song, whose parents are from the Gelao minority in Guizhou province.
“My parents, they give me everything. I’m the center of attention in the family. My mother has seven brothers and sisters; my father has six brothers and sisters. Most of my parents’ brothers and sisters have two kids. They are all very jealous about me being the only child,” he says.
Other Chinese research finds advantages to being an only child: They tend to score higher on intelligence tests and are better at making friends, according to Chinese studies.
Song agrees, saying he believes only children care more about their friends. He says the extra investment parents make in an only child is significant.
“If I had a sibling, I probably wouldn’t be who I am now. Probably I’d still be in my small village, getting married and having kids. If you have more kids in your family, probably they’re lacking in education, lacking food, lacking any kind of support, no matter emotional or financial. Basically, everybody is going to be average.”







Document F Continued
How does Xiao Xuan feel about the one-child policy? What are her reasons?





How does A. J. Song feel about the one-child policy? What are her reasons?





For a student writing an analytical paper on pros and cons of the one-child policy, which is more valuable- the two interviews or the Note? Explain your thinking.







Which only child, Xiao Xuan or A.J. Song, would you rather be? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

How does Xiao Xuan feel about the one-child policy? What are her reasons?
- She feels negatively about it. Although she acknowledges the material benefits of being an only child (“all the attention and resources”), she emphasizes loneliness and emotional costs. She describes a mostly lonely childhood, even self-harming after feeling isolated, and says the policy should be partly blamed for social problems among youth and is an unreasonable government interference in family life. She wishes she had siblings to share attention.

How does A. J. Song feel about the one-child policy? What are his reasons?
- He feels positively about being an only child. He says he “really appreciate[s]” it because his parents could invest everything in him; he’s the center of attention and relatives are jealous. He believes only children get better education and opportunities, form stronger friendships, and avoid the reduced support and resources that children in larger, poorer rural families would face.

For a student writing an analytical paper on pros and cons of the one-child policy, which is more valuable — the two interviews or the Note? Explain your thinking.
- Both types are valuable for different reasons. The Note (survey of 7,000 only children with percentages) gives quantitative, generalizable evidence about common outcomes (e.g., 58% reported loneliness, many said they were selfish, but many enjoyed being the family “sun”) and is stronger for establishing broad patterns. The two interviews give qualitative, personal depth and contrasting perspectives that illustrate how the policy played out in individual lives. For a solid analytical paper, use the Note for statistical backing and the interviews as illustrative case studies; if you must pick one, the Note is more valuable for objective evidence, while the interviews are more valuable for humanizing and explaining those statistics.

Which only child, Xiao Xuan or A. J. Song, would you rather be? Explain your answer.
- I would rather be A. J. Song. He expresses contentment and clear benefits from being an only child (strong parental support, educational opportunity, social confidence), whereas Xiao Xuan describes significant loneliness and emotional harm despite material advantages.