Between legacy and change: second-child fertility intentions among Chinese mothers in the post-one-child era

Abstract

China has experienced changes in family planning policies and is currently undergoing a population decline. This study investigated not only whether the mothers of young children intend to have a second birth but also their perceptions and experiences related to this decision-making through 40 in-depth semi-structured interviews. At the time of the interviews, the sample mainly comprised parous women with one living biological child under six years old, along with women pregnant with their first child, in Guizhou and Shanghai, China. Study findings revealed that three decades of implementing the one-child policy have caused ideational changes in reproductive behaviours in Chinese mothers, many of whom prioritise self-achievement and self-realisation nowadays, while also adhering to traditional values such as gender-role divisions and son preference. The legacies of the one-child policy, along with the clash between new and traditional cultural values, influence mothers’ intentions to have a second child in China. Policymakers should consider the role of cultural and political factors in influencing second-child fertility intentions among women in China.