Gendercide: The War On Baby Girls Winds Down
The article “Gendercide: The War on Baby Girls Winds Down” by The Economist iterates how past trends in sex-selective fertility have recently changed to produce a more equal sex ratio at birth in countries including South Korea, China, Pakistan, Vietnam, and South Caucasus due to ideological changes (Gendercide: The war on baby girls winds down, 2017). Even though these changes are leading to a more natural sex ratio, decades of sex-selective fertility have lasting impacts on population aging and structure.
Without manipulation, the sex ratio at birth is very constant at 105 males for every 100 females born (Hesketh and Xing, 2006, pg. 13272). However, cultural traditions of son preference have skewed the sex ratio at birth for decades. Son …show more content…
preference was rooted in the belief that males have a higher wage-earning capacity, the desire to continue the family line, and inheritance. In general, girls were viewed as less supportive to their dependent parents and as an economic burden because of the dowry system (Hesketh and Xing, 2006, pg. 13272). Due to these beliefs and anti-natalist policies, like China’s one-child-only policy, the sex ratio at birth is extremely skewed. For example, China’s sex ratio at birth in 2010 was 118 boys to every 100 females (Gendercide: The war on baby girls winds down, 2017).
According to “Gendercide: The war on baby girls winds down,” the sex ratio is normalizing worldwide, especially in China and India.
Potential explanations for this trend are from urbanization, contribution in old age support, and education through television. With urbanization, sons typically live apart from their parents earlier and therefore do not help out as much around the home. Additionally, women are increasingly contributing to old age support to their parents and are thus more favorably viewed. Lastly, in India, popular equality-themed soap operas are a source of education on infanticide because of long-term airing; controlled studies have revealed a reduced son preference in Indian populations that regularly watch them (Gendercide: The war on baby girls winds down, …show more content…
2017).
Despite these ideological changes in sex selection, decades of its practice have real consequences and impacts on population structure.
Throughout the developing world, there are an estimated 100 million women missing from the population. The highest percentages of these missing women are concentrated in areas of India (Hesketh and Xing, 2006, pg. 13272). Another consequence is seen in future reproduction. Birth cohorts with a high male sex ratio will age into a competitive martial world where many will not be able to find a partner nor raise a family (Hesketh and Xing, 2006, pg. 13272). In societies where being married is the status quo, these unmarried men may feel
unfulfilled.
Although sex-selective fertility trends have recently been discovered to be decreasing, the long-term effects of intense selection promoted by ideology and anti-natalist policies have withstanding and cross-generational impacts on population structure. Even though sex ratios at birth are beginning to stabilize, it is still a modern sociological issue with imposing, centennial consequences.
Word Count: 445
References
Gendercide: The war on baby girls winds down. (2017, January 21). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Hesketh, T., & Xing, Z. (2006). Abnormal sex ratios in human populations: Causes and consequences (J. Nathans, Ed.). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 103(36), 13271-13275. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
Without manipulation, the sex ratio at birth is very constant at 105 males for every 100 females born (Hesketh and Xing, 2006, pg. 13272). However, cultural traditions of son preference have skewed the sex ratio at birth for decades. Son …show more content…
preference was rooted in the belief that males have a higher wage-earning capacity, the desire to continue the family line, and inheritance. In general, girls were viewed as less supportive to their dependent parents and as an economic burden because of the dowry system (Hesketh and Xing, 2006, pg. 13272). Due to these beliefs and anti-natalist policies, like China’s one-child-only policy, the sex ratio at birth is extremely skewed. For example, China’s sex ratio at birth in 2010 was 118 boys to every 100 females (Gendercide: The war on baby girls winds down, 2017).
According to “Gendercide: The war on baby girls winds down,” the sex ratio is normalizing worldwide, especially in China and India.
Potential explanations for this trend are from urbanization, contribution in old age support, and education through television. With urbanization, sons typically live apart from their parents earlier and therefore do not help out as much around the home. Additionally, women are increasingly contributing to old age support to their parents and are thus more favorably viewed. Lastly, in India, popular equality-themed soap operas are a source of education on infanticide because of long-term airing; controlled studies have revealed a reduced son preference in Indian populations that regularly watch them (Gendercide: The war on baby girls winds down, …show more content…
2017).
Despite these ideological changes in sex selection, decades of its practice have real consequences and impacts on population structure.
Throughout the developing world, there are an estimated 100 million women missing from the population. The highest percentages of these missing women are concentrated in areas of India (Hesketh and Xing, 2006, pg. 13272). Another consequence is seen in future reproduction. Birth cohorts with a high male sex ratio will age into a competitive martial world where many will not be able to find a partner nor raise a family (Hesketh and Xing, 2006, pg. 13272). In societies where being married is the status quo, these unmarried men may feel
unfulfilled.
Although sex-selective fertility trends have recently been discovered to be decreasing, the long-term effects of intense selection promoted by ideology and anti-natalist policies have withstanding and cross-generational impacts on population structure. Even though sex ratios at birth are beginning to stabilize, it is still a modern sociological issue with imposing, centennial consequences.
Word Count: 445
References
Gendercide: The war on baby girls winds down. (2017, January 21). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Hesketh, T., & Xing, Z. (2006). Abnormal sex ratios in human populations: Causes and consequences (J. Nathans, Ed.). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 103(36), 13271-13275. Retrieved March 1, 2017.