The Influence of China Traditional Culture on Population Development?

Judging from the traditional culture of China, the idea of "carrying on the family line" is deeply rooted, which is still an important reason why China people want to have more children, especially more boys.

The formation of the idea of "carrying on the family line" and the strong preference for boys have its profound and complicated social roots. China has been a traditional agricultural society for thousands of years. From a macro point of view, the male population is the main source of labor, that is, the main source of labor, military service and tax. Like land, it is the source of wealth. Therefore, China's state power has been encouraging people to have more boys, so as to enhance national strength. As far as a family is concerned, that is, from a microscopic point of view, the continuation of a family's life is, of course, the continuation of the direct blood relationship first, but as an economic entity, the key lies in the continuation of its property inheritance right. In the traditional agricultural society of "father and son", the continuation of the family and its inheritance rights must have male heirs; If a family has no male heir, it means that the life of this family will definitely end. Therefore, every family must regard the birth of a male heir as a top priority.

However, we believe that it is not comprehensive and sufficient to analyze the origin of the idea of "carrying on the family line" only from the perspective of economics. Because it is not difficult to see that although the nature of state power has completely changed, traditional agriculture is no longer dominant in the national economy, and the peasant family economy has also infiltrated modern industrial and commercial factors. However, the concept of "carrying on the family line" still stubbornly exists in the minds of China people. This reminds us that we must broaden our horizons and further seek its roots from China's traditional culture. It can be considered that the reproductive worship in the traditional culture of China is one of the main sources of the idea of "carrying on the family line".