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Son Preference in China

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Son preference is a kind of gender preference. Preference of sons can be explained by an altitude; it believe that boys have more value than girls; it can be defined as a gender bias as well.[1]This phenomenon in China can be showed in gender sex ratio[2]. Moreover, Chinese son preference can be connected to variety of reasons. For instance, the financial factor, historical factor, religion and culture factors[2]. It is worth mentioning that Chinese one child policy contribute to sex imbalance in China as well. One child policy is a kind of family planned policy, and family will get the financial penalty if they violate the policy. [1]

History

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The origin of Chinese son preference can be related to the beginning of Chinese patriarchy society.[3]Agriculture can be a key to understand the Chinese son preference history[4]. For thousands of years in China, most of the Chinese prefer sons rather than girls because majority of males have more ability to earn more than girls, especially in agrarian economics. Clearly, 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.[5]in most of the religion aspect, males can continuing the family line; in financial factor, most of the Chinese old generation believe that girls typically have no responsibility for their parents when they married.[6]Clearly, the ethical thoughts of male superiority and female sorrow have existed in the patriarchal society. With the development of feudal ethics, this viewpoint has gradually developed and deepened into the hearts of the people.[5]

Reasons

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Agrarian Society in China

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The agrarian society is based on producing and maintaining crops and farmland. Agrarian society in China is one of the factors that impact Chinese son preference. Before the globalisation, during Song, Ming and Qing dynasty, China has trapped in an agrarian society period.[7]Obviously, the majority of works in agriculture must utilize males’ strength. Although the expansionary of urbanisation has increased in recent decades in China, agriculture still has impact on gender bias in this country.[8]The Chinese social culture cannot be changed easily. Despite the fact that China has developed its economics rapidly, majority of farmers who move from rural area to urban city still hold the son preference value; in Chinese social culture, sons should take more responsibility to take on households.[9]

Financial Security

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Financial security is the reason that affect sex preference in China. In Chinese social culture, in old generation concept, once a girl married with her husband, she will belong to his husband’s family which means she will have not responsibility to take care of her parents anymore; thus, their parents will have worried that who can take care of them if their daughter get married[10].In general, majority of traditional Chinese society culture concept believes that sons can take responsibility for their family, instead of girls.[11] In recent years, Chinese population become more and more larger. Therefore, Chinese government advanced the ‘one child policy’ in order to dominate the large population in 1979.[12] With the developing technology, Chinese parents may know their children’s sexual, they potential use the sex-select abortion to make sure they have boys. Chinese parents potential will get financial support even if their sons get married.[13]

Traditional Chinese Folk Religion

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Confucius 02

Son preference in rural China has some affect by traditional Chinese folk religion. Such folk religion may overlap with an individual's belief in Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, or other traditional Chinese religions.[14]It is widely known that the majority of Chinese hold Confucianism as their core value religion in ancient China; patriarchy is a part of value included by Confucianism. In general, the preference of son basically is strongly command in country which holds Confucianism.[15]Confucianism brings heaved burden on Chinese women. In Chinese traditional confusion families, husband and other family members have more statues than wives. Chinese wife’s paramountresponsibility is to look after and serve the household, including to do all the housework.[16]Furthermore, the ancestor worship underlined by the Chinese folk religion as well.[17]Besides, Chinese ancestor worship emphasizes the filial piety. One of the filial method is to continue the family line in China. Passing on the genealogy is one of the method to continue the family. However, in Chinese old generation concepts, family’s genealogy will be interrupted if they don’t  have sons.[18]Moreover, cannot bear a son can become a potential factor for divorce a some couples.

Statement of the effect of high sex ratio on marriage of males

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The sex ratio of birth(SRB), quoting from Threse Hesketh, Li Lu and Zhu Wei Xing, is defined as the ratio of the new born male infants to every 100 girls. Hesketh, Li and Zhu demonstrated that China has always reported high SRBs during the past decades, due to the effect of preference to sons. They claimed that there would possibly be a lack of women in the whole society of China for next 20 years, as a shortage of women was estimated to be faced. Interestingly, people in China who are unable to be married or single for a long time are generally called 'guang gun (single)', meaning 'bare branches'.[19][20]According to the reality of male excess female, majority of consequences can be assumed. Firstly, the sexual frustration and psychosocial vulnerability may come together to these males and let them become violent and aggressive. [21]To be clear, the reason is that they can’t through achieve marriage and bear a child to meet the Chinese traditional expectations.[22]Although it just a consumption, this prediction has a good empirical to support: the cross-culture evidences illustrate that majority of criminal planner and murderers were low status and unmarried males.[23] They may turn to anti-social organizations, threatening social stability and security, since they do not behave in current social order.[24]Therefore, male surplus is a trepidation issues which should be concerned. Nevertheless, the evidence is not strong enough to proof the prediction that they are prone on crime though majority of the unmated males are easy to tend to become depression. Furthermore, excess male has stimulate the phonograph industry as well. Majority of data illustrate that the sex industry is experiencing expansionary in current decades.[25] [26]However, the consequence of increasing the sex workers as increasing sex ratio can’t be proved. According to some research, the main reason for increasing the sex workers in China can be related to Chinese domestic socioeconomic inequality.[26]Some positive consequence may affect since high sex ratio on marriage of males in China. Basically, the women status will develop gradually. Clearly, the sex preference may rise the Fertility needs. The mortality rate of girls will decrease as gender discrimination decreases.[27]Minority of article argues that sex imbalance is a way to control Chinese large population.[28]Furthermore, with the decreasing number of women in society, their value will be increased. Thus, their status increases as well. Developing the woman status may let son preference decreased potentially.[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sob preference". 2018.
  2. ^ a b Seager, Joni (2009). The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. New York: New York: Penguin Group. p. 42.
  3. ^ Jezebel, Anna. "In Chinese "Matriarchal" Society, Women Do All The Work".
  4. ^ Wittogel, K. "Agricultural: a key to understand of Chinese society past and present" (PDF).
  5. ^ a b Branigan, Tanin. "China's great gender crisis". Support the Guardian.
  6. ^ "Sex selection". doi:10.1007/s11459-011-0145-1. S2CID 56038914. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ James, Wen, Guanzhong (2011). "Why Was China Trapped in an Agrarian Society? An Economic Geographical Approach to the Needham Puzzle [post-print]". Trinity College Digital Repository.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Simpson, P (2012). "China's urban population exceeds rural for first time ever". The Telegraph.
  9. ^ Wang, Wendy (2005). "Son preference and educational opportunities of children in China— "I wish you were a boy!"". Gender Issues. 22 (2): 3–30. doi:10.1007/s12147-005-0012-4. ISSN 1098-092X. S2CID 144531015.
  10. ^ Graham, Maureen J.; Larsen, Ulla; Xu, Xiping (1998). "Son Preference in Anhui Province, China". International Family Planning Perspectives. 24 (2): 72–77. doi:10.2307/2991929. JSTOR 2991929.
  11. ^ Parish, William L.; Whyte, Martin King (1980-08-15). Village and Family in Contemporary China. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226645919.
  12. ^ Li, Jiali; Cooney, Rosemary Santana (1993). "Son preference and the one child policy in China: 1979?1988". Population Research and Policy Review. 12 (3): 277–296. doi:10.1007/bf01074389. ISSN 0167-5923. S2CID 153780904.
  13. ^ Isabelle, Attané. "The Demographic Masculinization of China: Hoping for a Son". Canadian Studies in Population.
  14. ^ Pike, John. "Traditional Chinese Religion". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  15. ^ Arnold, Fred; Zhaoxiang, Liu (1986). "Sex Preference, Fertility, and Family Planning in China". Population and Development Review. 12 (2): 221–246. doi:10.2307/1973109. JSTOR 1973109.
  16. ^ Zhang, Liu. "The Confucian Ethic of Female Subordination and Depression Among Young People in Rural China". ProQuest 1346906003.
  17. ^ "Village context, women's status, and son preference among rural Chinese women". Rural Sociology. 68: 88. ProQuest 199339943.
  18. ^ "Filial Piety (孝) in Chinese Culture". The Greater China Journal. 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  19. ^ "How serious is son preference in China?". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  20. ^ Hesketh, Therese; Lu, Li; Xing, Zhu Wei (2011-09-06). "The consequences of son preference and sex-selective abortion in China and other Asian countries". CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal. 183 (12): 1374–1377. doi:10.1503/cmaj.101368. ISSN 0820-3946. PMC 3168620. PMID 21402684.
  21. ^ Barber, N (2000). The sex ratio as a predictor of cross-national variation in violent crime. Cross-Cultural Res.
  22. ^ Hudson, V. "A surplus of men, a deficit of peace". Int Secur. 26:5: 38.
  23. ^ Messner, SF (1991). "The sex ratio, family disruption and rates of violent crime: the paradox of demographic structure". Soc Forces. 69: 693–713. doi:10.2307/2579470. JSTOR 2579470.
  24. ^ Hudson, V (2002). "A surplus of men, a deficit of peace" (PDF). Int Secur. 26: 5–38. doi:10.1162/016228802753696753. S2CID 57568336.
  25. ^ Dandona, R; Dandona, L; Kumar, GA; Gutierrez, JP; McPherson, S; Samuels, F; Bertozzi, SM (2016). "Demography and sex work characteristics of female sex workers in India". ASCI FPP Study Team. BMC Int Health Hum Rights.
  26. ^ a b Tucker, JD; Henderson, GE; Wang, TF; Huang, YY; Parish, W; Pan, SM; Chen, XS; Cohen, MS (2005). "Surplus men, sex work, and the spread of HIV in China". AIDS. 19(6):539: 47.
  27. ^ Goodkind, D (1996). "On substituting sex ratio strategies in east Asia: Does prenatal sex selection reduce postnatal discrimination?". Popul Dev Rev. 22:111: 25.
  28. ^ Arnold, F (1987). "The effect of sex preference on fertility and family planning: empirical evidence". Popul Bull UN. (23-24):44: 55.
  29. ^ Branigan, Tania (2011-11-02). "China's great gender crisis". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-10-18.