Final answer:
The one-child policy in China was designed to slow population growth by limiting families to one child, enforced through economic penalties and social pressures, resulting in a gender imbalance and other societal issues. Enforcement varied by region and was accompanied by reports of extreme measures. Other countries have succeeded in managing population growth through education programs rather than strict policies.
Step-by-step explanation:
A policy of allowing only one child per family, like the one implemented in China, aimed to reduce the overall population by simply limiting the number of new individuals added to the population each generation. This one-child policy was enforced through economic disincentives and social pressures, effectively slowing population growth. However, the policy had controversial side effects, such as gender imbalance due to a cultural preference for male children, leading to a higher number of abortions and reports of female infanticide.
Despite the policy, population growth continued due to various exemptions and the desire among many couples to have a male heir. Enforcement varied by region, and in some rural areas, the policy was less effective. Strategies such as fines, loss of employment, and other penalties were used to enforce the policy, amid reports of more extreme measures including forced abortions and sterilizations in some cases.
Different approaches to family planning and population control elsewhere in the world, like education programs, have shown effectiveness without the negative impacts of a strict policy like China's one-child rule. Ultimately, the policy's intention was to manage resource allocation and provide for the population more sustainably, in the face of challenges such as possible food shortages and inequality in resource distribution.