Dodson Chapter 9 Response

It is no surprise to anyone that China is the most densely population country in the world. However, I did not know that it has been recorded from such a long time ago in history. Even 2,000 years ago, China still maintained the largest population. I found that to be a very interesting point that Dodson made, mainly because I didn’t realize that it has always been a problem for China. I also felt that I learned a bit more about why there was such a need to populate China. It is an insurance thing for families. They want to make sure to carry on the family name and bloodline. That is really important for Chinese families. However, the more kids you are having, the more mouths you have to feed. Another thing I found baffling was that 36 million people died in a famine that took place from 1959-1962. Famine is something I have never had to experience in my lifetime. I can’t even begin to imagine what that would be like. The thought of 36 million people dying just because there isn’t enough food to go around really sounds crazy to me. It makes me curious to see what the death rate for famine in other countries is, and how it relates to China.

The most interesting thing I read from Dodson’s chapter nine is that women in 1979 were having on average, six kids. That is a huge number. Families these days are not that big. It is too challenging to be able to support all those individuals. Six kids is also just an average! There is the possibility of even more. My dad happened to be one of 13 kids! I love hearing stories about the way he was raised, because it is so vastly different from any other upbringings I have heard of. It has to be when you have 13 kids running around a tiny house with only two bathrooms! I can’t imagine all the families in our country being that big. Things would be way different, and a lot harder.