The Politics of the Only-Child

Abstract

Only-children are a growing phenomenon. In the United States, it is estimated that 20 per cent of children under 18 are ‘singletons’. In the United Kingdom, the birth rate has fallen to1.48 children per woman, with 17 per cent of couples having only one child. This percentage of only-children is low compared to other parts of Europe: the Portuguese and Italians having 49 per cent, Austrians 43 per cent, Dutch 33 per cent and Irish 30 per cent (Office of National Statistics). In China it is estimated there are 40 million. The media have an increasing interest in the phenomenon of only-child families which they often refer to as the Beanpole family. Beanpole families are not pyramid shaped like family trees, but tall and thin vertical families. Articles reflect the increase in the numbers of only-children, due to later marriages, careers for women, a higher divorce rate, lower fertility and an economic desire to combine family and work. Having a child, and a career, is now a common expectation for women, and limiting the family to one child appears to avoid some of the disadvantages of increasing financial responsibility and dividing time and attention between children.