Abstract
The desire to control birth in China has roots in the country’s chaotic political history of the past several centuries and the resulting deep desire for stability in all aspects of life. For most of the country’s long history, China – with its large cities, extensive libraries, sophisticated technology, fine arts and silks, and rich medical tradition – was a civilization far ahead of its Western counterparts. Indeed, after visiting the Chinese capital in the thirteenth century, Marco Polo proclaimed the city to be “without doubt the finest and most splendid city in the world” (Hansen 2000: 409).
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Harvey, T.A., Buckley, L. (2009). Childbirth in China. In: Selin, H. (eds) Childbirth Across Cultures. Science Across Cultures: the History of Non-Western Science, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2599-9_5
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