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Effect of preference of boys over girls in China.

  • 25-05-2021 9:34pm
    #1
    political analyst
    Registered Users Posts: 4,417 ✭✭✭


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_preference_in_China
    The origin of Chinese son preference can be related to the beginning of Chinese patriarchic society.[5] Agriculture can be a key to understand the Chinese son preference history.[6] For thousands of years in China, most of the Chinese preferred sons rather than daughters because majority of males have more ability to earn more than girls, especially in agrarian economies. When human society enters the patriarchal society from the matriarchal society, men gradually occupy a dominant position in social production. People cannot leave men in hunting, animal husbandry, plowing or even snoring.[7] In most of the religious aspects, males can continue the family line; in financial factor, most of the Chinese older generation believe that girls typically have no responsibility for their parents when they marry.[8]

    Does it not occur to Chinese parents who prefer to have sons instead of daughters (I know that there's also a similar problem in India) that, if they enact that preference, their sons will be much less likely to have romantic relationships with women and thus that the bloodlines of their families will cease?


Comments

  • #2
    TP_CM
    Registered Users Posts: 443 ✭✭TP_CM


    Doesn't gender preference happen everywhere? I know a very very very tiny proportion in China take it to another level. But even here, I know a lot of dads who want a boy because they assume they'll be into watching rugby/soccer. Or mams who want little versions of themselves to go shopping with. If you think of all the three-child-families you know - have you noticed the first two kids are often the same gender? Not all the time, but I've noticed that myself. Seems to be a human quality rather than a Chinese one - It's just that some people in China take it to another level.


  • #3
    Donald Trump
    Registered Users Posts: 19,018 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump


    TP_CM wrote: »
    Doesn't gender preference happen everywhere? I know a very very very tiny proportion in China take it to another level. But even here, I know a lot of dads who want a boy because they assume they'll be into watching rugby/soccer. Or mams who want little versions of themselves to go shopping with. If you think of all the three-child-families you know - have you noticed the first two kids are always the same gender? Not all the time, but I've noticed that myself. Seems to be a human quality rather than a Chinese one - It's just that some people in China take it to another level.


    There's a 50% chance that the first two kids would be the same gender ............. you might not realise that and when you see it happening about half the time, it seems higher to you than you'd expect. Would be a bit of confirmation bias in there as well


  • #4
    TP_CM
    Registered Users Posts: 443 ✭✭TP_CM


    Donald Trump wrote: »
    There's a 50% chance that the first two kids would be the same gender ............. you might not realise that and when you see it happening about half the time, it seems higher to you than you'd expect. Would be a bit of confirmation bias in there as well

    Yes I get the 50% chance bit. But if you were to look at two different sample populations:

    1) 100 2-child-families who have same gender children
    2) 100 2-child-families who have 1 boy and 1 girl

    Do you think that more families from group 1 go on to have a 3rd child?

    I only know 8 3-child-families, and for 7 of them, the first 2 children are the same gender. Now, I'll be the first to admit that 8 families from my own personal world is no where near enough to draw a foregone conclusion on the entire human race.


  • #5
    lazygal
    Registered Users Posts: 12,644 ✭✭✭✭lazygal


    We had a boy and a girl and had a third child. Same with several other couples we know.
    I don't know how the deep cultural preferences in China for boys can ever be tackled. It goes way beyond feeling like you'd prefer a boy because you'd enjoy the same sorts of things.


  • #6
    Donald Trump
    Registered Users Posts: 19,018 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump


    TP_CM wrote: »
    Yes I get the 50% chance bit. But if you were to look at two different sample populations:

    1) 100 2-child-families who have same gender children
    2) 100 2-child-families who have 1 boy and 1 girl

    Do you think that more families from group 1 go on to have a 3rd child?

    I only know 8 3-child-families, and for 7 of them, the first 2 children are the same gender. Now, I'll be the first to admit that 8 families from my own personal world is no where near enough to draw a foregone conclusion on the entire human race.




    Ok, so you are talking about a different thing. I misunderstood. I was looking at from the other perspective.



    You are saying that families that have two of the same might have a third to try to get one of the other gender when they otherwise would not. Therefore there will be a bias in 3 child families that have first two the same gender


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  • #7
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    Not only does a majority male society cause general unhappiness, I think it also will increase violence when males grow up without prospect of ever marrying.

    Societies are naturally equally male/female.
    The current eugenics is throwing things off balance.


  • #8
    political analyst
    Registered Users Posts: 4,417 ✭✭✭political analyst


    TP_CM wrote: »
    Doesn't gender preference happen everywhere? I know a very very very tiny proportion in China take it to another level. But even here, I know a lot of dads who want a boy because they assume they'll be into watching rugby/soccer. Or mams who want little versions of themselves to go shopping with. If you think of all the three-child-families you know - have you noticed the first two kids are often the same gender? Not all the time, but I've noticed that myself. Seems to be a human quality rather than a Chinese one - It's just that some people in China take it to another level.

    Not to the same extent as in China.


  • #9
    political analyst
    Registered Users Posts: 4,417 ✭✭✭political analyst


    biko wrote: »
    Not only does a majority male society cause general unhappiness, I think it also will increase violence when males grow up without prospect of ever marrying.

    Societies are naturally equally male/female.
    The current eugenics is throwing things off balance.

    That's my point. Do those Chinese (and also to a large, but not quite as big, extent, India) parents not realise that their preference for boys would mean the strong likelihood that their families' bloodlines will cease?


  • #10
    Noo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,986 ✭✭✭Noo


    ViCE did an episode covering this about 10 years ago that always stuck with me, goes into these exact issues. Worth a watch if you can find it.


  • #11
    political analyst
    Registered Users Posts: 4,417 ✭✭✭political analyst


    If the gender imbalance in China leads to an economic crisis there and thus leads to the collapse of the communist regime then I'll be delighted.


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