Martin King Whyte

Commentaries by Martin King Whyte

Martin King Whyte

Professor of International Studies and Sociology Emeritus, Harvard University

Martin King Whyte is John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Sociology Emeritus at Harvard University and visiting Asia Scholar at the University of Melbourne. His is the author of One Country, Two Societies: Rural-Urban Inequality in Contemporary China and Myth of the Social Volcano: Perceptions of Inequality and Distributive Injustice in Contemporary China.

Be Careful What You Wish For: China Confronts Population Decline
Aug 05, 2023
China has boasted the world’s largest population for hundreds of years, but with challenges brought about by mandatory birth limits and rapid economic growth, China is now faced with a population decline that likely will endanger Xi Jinping’s goal of moving China into the ranks of rich countries.
China’s Economy One-Child Policy
China’s Hukou System: How an Engine of Development Has Become a Major Obstacle
Apr 24, 2019
China’s household registration system, known as the hukou system, was employed throughout imperial China and used as a caste system under Mao Zedong. Now that China is attempting to rise into the ranks of rich countries, the legacy of this system is a major obstacle.
The Governance Of China China’s Social Reform
The End of One-Child Policy and China’s Demographic Challenges
Oct 25, 2018
China eliminated its one-child policy in hopes of boosting its population, but three years later, the country faces not only a looming population decline but also a demographic reality that could disrupt its economic and social progress.
One Child Policy China’s Transition