Family Systems, Political systems, and Asia’s ‘Missing Girls’ : The Construction of Son Preference and Its Unraveling
Son preference is known to be found in certain types of cultures, that is patrilineal cultures. But what explains the fact that China, South Korea, and Northwest India manifest such extreme child sex ratios compared with other patrilineal societies...
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
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2012
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| Online Access: | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20091203173119 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4341 |
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okr-10986-4341 |
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oai_dc |
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Digital Repository |
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Foreign Institution |
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Digital Repositories |
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World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
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World Bank |
| language |
English |
| topic |
ACCESS TO LAND ACCESS TO RESOURCES ADULT WOMEN ADULTS AFTERLIFE AGED ALLIANCES AUTONOMY BIRTH ORDER BREADWINNER CAPITALISM CENSUSES CHILD CUSTODY CHILD HEALTH CHILD MARRIAGE CHILD MORTALITY CHILDBEARING CITIES CITIZENS CIVILIZATION CLAN COMMON PROPERTY COURT COURTS CULTURES CUSTOMARY LAW CUSTOMARY PRACTICE DAILY LIFE DEMOCRACY DEMOGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS DEMOGRAPHY DESCENT DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT POLICY DIFFERENTIALS IN MORTALITY DISCOURSE DISCRIMINATION DIVISION OF PROPERTY DIVORCE DIVORCED WOMEN DOMESTIC SPHERE DOWRIES DOWRY EARLY CHILDHOOD ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES ECONOMIC RESOURCES ECONOMIC RIGHTS EITHER SEX ELDERLY ELDERLY WOMEN ENDOGAMY EQUAL RIGHTS EQUALITY OF MEN ETHNIC IDENTITY ETHNICITY ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDIES ETHNOGRAPHIES EXCESS MORTALITY FAMILIES FAMILY COMPOSITION FAMILY FORMS FAMILY HEALTH FAMILY INCOME FAMILY LAW FAMILY LAWS FAMILY MEMBERS FAMILY PLANNING FAMILY SIZE FAMILY STRUCTURE FATHERS FEMALE FEMALE INFANTICIDE FEMALE MORTALITY FERTILITY FERTILITY DECLINE FOLKLORE GENDER GENDER BIAS GENDER DIFFERENCES GENDER DISCRIMINATION GENDER EQUALITY GENDER EQUITY GENDER HIERARCHIES GENDER INEQUITIES GENDER PREFERENCE GENDER RELATIONS GENDER ROLES GENEALOGY GENERATIONS HEAD OF THE FAMILY HOME HOMES HOUSEHOLDS HOUSES HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUNTING HUSBAND HUSBANDS ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN ILLNESS IMAGES OF WOMEN IMMIGRANTS INCEST INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS INDUSTRIALIZATION INEQUALITIES INFANT INHERITANCE ISLAMIC LAW JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE JOURNAL OF WOMEN KINSHIP KINSHIP STRUCTURE LAWS LEGAL CHANGES LEGAL ENTITIES LEGAL REFORMS LEGAL RIGHTS LOCAL COMMUNITIES LOCAL GOVERNMENTS LOCAL POPULATION LOCAL POPULATIONS MARRIAGE LAW MARRIAGES MARRIED COUPLES MARRIED MEN MARRIED WOMAN MARRIED WOMEN MASS MEDIA MEDICAL SERVICES MIGRATION MODERNIZATION MORTALITY AMONG INFANTS MOTHER MURDERS OF WOMEN NUMBER OF GIRLS OFFENDERS OLD AGE OLD SYSTEM PARENTHOOD PARENTS PATRIARCHY PEACE PENSION PERSONAL LIVES PHILOSOPHY POLICY RESEARCH POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER POLITICAL INSTABILITY POLITICAL POWER POLITICAL SYSTEMS POLYANDRY POPULAR CULTURE POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT POPULATION CENSUSES POPULATION DIVISION POPULATION GROWTH POPULATION STUDIES PREFERENCE FOR SONS PRENATAL SEX SELECTION PROGRESS PROPERTY RIGHTS PUBLIC LIFE PUBLIC POLICY PUBLIC SERVICES PUBLIC SPHERE RADIO RELIGION RELIGIOUS BELIEFS RESIDENCE RIGHT OF REFUSAL RITES RITUAL RITUALS RURAL AREAS RURAL DEVELOPMENT RURAL WOMEN SANCTIONS SEX SEX DIFFERENCES SEX OF THE CHILD SEX PREFERENCE SEX RATIO SEX RATIOS SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTION SOCIAL AFFAIRS SOCIAL CHANGE SOCIAL CLASS SOCIAL CONTROL SOCIAL MOVEMENTS SOCIAL NORMS SOCIAL ORGANIZATION SOCIAL SCIENCE SOCIAL SERVICES SOCIAL STATUS SOCIAL SUPPORT SOCIAL SYSTEMS SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETIES SOCIETY SOCIOLOGY SON PREFERENCE STATE POLICIES SYMBOLS TELEVISION TRANSPORTATION TV UNITED NATIONS UNMARRIED WOMAN URBAN AREAS URBAN WOMEN URBANIZATION VILLAGES WAR WARS WIFE WILL WIVES WOMAN WOMEN'S STATUS WORLD POPULATION YOUNG COUPLE YOUNG GIRLS YOUNG WOMEN |
| spellingShingle |
ACCESS TO LAND ACCESS TO RESOURCES ADULT WOMEN ADULTS AFTERLIFE AGED ALLIANCES AUTONOMY BIRTH ORDER BREADWINNER CAPITALISM CENSUSES CHILD CUSTODY CHILD HEALTH CHILD MARRIAGE CHILD MORTALITY CHILDBEARING CITIES CITIZENS CIVILIZATION CLAN COMMON PROPERTY COURT COURTS CULTURES CUSTOMARY LAW CUSTOMARY PRACTICE DAILY LIFE DEMOCRACY DEMOGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS DEMOGRAPHY DESCENT DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT POLICY DIFFERENTIALS IN MORTALITY DISCOURSE DISCRIMINATION DIVISION OF PROPERTY DIVORCE DIVORCED WOMEN DOMESTIC SPHERE DOWRIES DOWRY EARLY CHILDHOOD ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES ECONOMIC RESOURCES ECONOMIC RIGHTS EITHER SEX ELDERLY ELDERLY WOMEN ENDOGAMY EQUAL RIGHTS EQUALITY OF MEN ETHNIC IDENTITY ETHNICITY ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDIES ETHNOGRAPHIES EXCESS MORTALITY FAMILIES FAMILY COMPOSITION FAMILY FORMS FAMILY HEALTH FAMILY INCOME FAMILY LAW FAMILY LAWS FAMILY MEMBERS FAMILY PLANNING FAMILY SIZE FAMILY STRUCTURE FATHERS FEMALE FEMALE INFANTICIDE FEMALE MORTALITY FERTILITY FERTILITY DECLINE FOLKLORE GENDER GENDER BIAS GENDER DIFFERENCES GENDER DISCRIMINATION GENDER EQUALITY GENDER EQUITY GENDER HIERARCHIES GENDER INEQUITIES GENDER PREFERENCE GENDER RELATIONS GENDER ROLES GENEALOGY GENERATIONS HEAD OF THE FAMILY HOME HOMES HOUSEHOLDS HOUSES HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUNTING HUSBAND HUSBANDS ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN ILLNESS IMAGES OF WOMEN IMMIGRANTS INCEST INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS INDUSTRIALIZATION INEQUALITIES INFANT INHERITANCE ISLAMIC LAW JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE JOURNAL OF WOMEN KINSHIP KINSHIP STRUCTURE LAWS LEGAL CHANGES LEGAL ENTITIES LEGAL REFORMS LEGAL RIGHTS LOCAL COMMUNITIES LOCAL GOVERNMENTS LOCAL POPULATION LOCAL POPULATIONS MARRIAGE LAW MARRIAGES MARRIED COUPLES MARRIED MEN MARRIED WOMAN MARRIED WOMEN MASS MEDIA MEDICAL SERVICES MIGRATION MODERNIZATION MORTALITY AMONG INFANTS MOTHER MURDERS OF WOMEN NUMBER OF GIRLS OFFENDERS OLD AGE OLD SYSTEM PARENTHOOD PARENTS PATRIARCHY PEACE PENSION PERSONAL LIVES PHILOSOPHY POLICY RESEARCH POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER POLITICAL INSTABILITY POLITICAL POWER POLITICAL SYSTEMS POLYANDRY POPULAR CULTURE POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT POPULATION CENSUSES POPULATION DIVISION POPULATION GROWTH POPULATION STUDIES PREFERENCE FOR SONS PRENATAL SEX SELECTION PROGRESS PROPERTY RIGHTS PUBLIC LIFE PUBLIC POLICY PUBLIC SERVICES PUBLIC SPHERE RADIO RELIGION RELIGIOUS BELIEFS RESIDENCE RIGHT OF REFUSAL RITES RITUAL RITUALS RURAL AREAS RURAL DEVELOPMENT RURAL WOMEN SANCTIONS SEX SEX DIFFERENCES SEX OF THE CHILD SEX PREFERENCE SEX RATIO SEX RATIOS SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTION SOCIAL AFFAIRS SOCIAL CHANGE SOCIAL CLASS SOCIAL CONTROL SOCIAL MOVEMENTS SOCIAL NORMS SOCIAL ORGANIZATION SOCIAL SCIENCE SOCIAL SERVICES SOCIAL STATUS SOCIAL SUPPORT SOCIAL SYSTEMS SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETIES SOCIETY SOCIOLOGY SON PREFERENCE STATE POLICIES SYMBOLS TELEVISION TRANSPORTATION TV UNITED NATIONS UNMARRIED WOMAN URBAN AREAS URBAN WOMEN URBANIZATION VILLAGES WAR WARS WIFE WILL WIVES WOMAN WOMEN'S STATUS WORLD POPULATION YOUNG COUPLE YOUNG GIRLS YOUNG WOMEN Das Gupta, Monica Family Systems, Political systems, and Asia’s ‘Missing Girls’ : The Construction of Son Preference and Its Unraveling |
| geographic_facet |
South Asia The World Region East Asia and Pacific |
| relation |
Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5148 |
| description |
Son preference is known to be found in
certain types of cultures, that is patrilineal cultures. But
what explains the fact that China, South Korea, and
Northwest India manifest such extreme child sex ratios
compared with other patrilineal societies? This paper argues
that what makes these societies unique is that their
pre-modern political and administrative systems used
patrilineages to organize and administer their citizens. The
interplay of culture, state, and political processes
generated uniquely rigid patriliny and son preference. The
paper also argues that the advent of the modern state in
these settings has unraveled the underpinnings of the rigid
patrilineal rules, and unleashed a variety of forces that
reduce son preference. Firstly, the modern state has
powerful tools for incorporating and managing its citizenry,
rendering patrilineages a threat rather than an asset for
the state. Secondly, the modern state has brought in
political, social, and legal reforms aimed to challenge
traditional social hierarchies, including the age and gender
hierarchies of the kinship system. Thirdly,
industrialization and urbanization have ushered in new modes
of social organization, which reduce the hold of clans and
lineages. Studies of the impact of the media suggest that
states can accelerate the resultant decline in son
preference, through media efforts to help parents perceive
that daughters can now be as valuable as sons. |
| format |
Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper |
| author |
Das Gupta, Monica |
| author_facet |
Das Gupta, Monica |
| author_sort |
Das Gupta, Monica |
| title |
Family Systems, Political systems, and Asia’s ‘Missing Girls’ : The Construction of Son Preference and Its Unraveling |
| title_short |
Family Systems, Political systems, and Asia’s ‘Missing Girls’ : The Construction of Son Preference and Its Unraveling |
| title_full |
Family Systems, Political systems, and Asia’s ‘Missing Girls’ : The Construction of Son Preference and Its Unraveling |
| title_fullStr |
Family Systems, Political systems, and Asia’s ‘Missing Girls’ : The Construction of Son Preference and Its Unraveling |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Family Systems, Political systems, and Asia’s ‘Missing Girls’ : The Construction of Son Preference and Its Unraveling |
| title_sort |
family systems, political systems, and asia’s ‘missing girls’ : the construction of son preference and its unraveling |
| publishDate |
2012 |
| url |
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20091203173119 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4341 |
| _version_ |
1764391002825555968 |
| spelling |
okr-10986-43412021-04-23T14:02:17Z Family Systems, Political systems, and Asia’s ‘Missing Girls’ : The Construction of Son Preference and Its Unraveling Das Gupta, Monica ACCESS TO LAND ACCESS TO RESOURCES ADULT WOMEN ADULTS AFTERLIFE AGED ALLIANCES AUTONOMY BIRTH ORDER BREADWINNER CAPITALISM CENSUSES CHILD CUSTODY CHILD HEALTH CHILD MARRIAGE CHILD MORTALITY CHILDBEARING CITIES CITIZENS CIVILIZATION CLAN COMMON PROPERTY COURT COURTS CULTURES CUSTOMARY LAW CUSTOMARY PRACTICE DAILY LIFE DEMOCRACY DEMOGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS DEMOGRAPHY DESCENT DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT POLICY DIFFERENTIALS IN MORTALITY DISCOURSE DISCRIMINATION DIVISION OF PROPERTY DIVORCE DIVORCED WOMEN DOMESTIC SPHERE DOWRIES DOWRY EARLY CHILDHOOD ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES ECONOMIC RESOURCES ECONOMIC RIGHTS EITHER SEX ELDERLY ELDERLY WOMEN ENDOGAMY EQUAL RIGHTS EQUALITY OF MEN ETHNIC IDENTITY ETHNICITY ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDIES ETHNOGRAPHIES EXCESS MORTALITY FAMILIES FAMILY COMPOSITION FAMILY FORMS FAMILY HEALTH FAMILY INCOME FAMILY LAW FAMILY LAWS FAMILY MEMBERS FAMILY PLANNING FAMILY SIZE FAMILY STRUCTURE FATHERS FEMALE FEMALE INFANTICIDE FEMALE MORTALITY FERTILITY FERTILITY DECLINE FOLKLORE GENDER GENDER BIAS GENDER DIFFERENCES GENDER DISCRIMINATION GENDER EQUALITY GENDER EQUITY GENDER HIERARCHIES GENDER INEQUITIES GENDER PREFERENCE GENDER RELATIONS GENDER ROLES GENEALOGY GENERATIONS HEAD OF THE FAMILY HOME HOMES HOUSEHOLDS HOUSES HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUNTING HUSBAND HUSBANDS ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN ILLNESS IMAGES OF WOMEN IMMIGRANTS INCEST INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS INDUSTRIALIZATION INEQUALITIES INFANT INHERITANCE ISLAMIC LAW JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE JOURNAL OF WOMEN KINSHIP KINSHIP STRUCTURE LAWS LEGAL CHANGES LEGAL ENTITIES LEGAL REFORMS LEGAL RIGHTS LOCAL COMMUNITIES LOCAL GOVERNMENTS LOCAL POPULATION LOCAL POPULATIONS MARRIAGE LAW MARRIAGES MARRIED COUPLES MARRIED MEN MARRIED WOMAN MARRIED WOMEN MASS MEDIA MEDICAL SERVICES MIGRATION MODERNIZATION MORTALITY AMONG INFANTS MOTHER MURDERS OF WOMEN NUMBER OF GIRLS OFFENDERS OLD AGE OLD SYSTEM PARENTHOOD PARENTS PATRIARCHY PEACE PENSION PERSONAL LIVES PHILOSOPHY POLICY RESEARCH POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER POLITICAL INSTABILITY POLITICAL POWER POLITICAL SYSTEMS POLYANDRY POPULAR CULTURE POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT POPULATION CENSUSES POPULATION DIVISION POPULATION GROWTH POPULATION STUDIES PREFERENCE FOR SONS PRENATAL SEX SELECTION PROGRESS PROPERTY RIGHTS PUBLIC LIFE PUBLIC POLICY PUBLIC SERVICES PUBLIC SPHERE RADIO RELIGION RELIGIOUS BELIEFS RESIDENCE RIGHT OF REFUSAL RITES RITUAL RITUALS RURAL AREAS RURAL DEVELOPMENT RURAL WOMEN SANCTIONS SEX SEX DIFFERENCES SEX OF THE CHILD SEX PREFERENCE SEX RATIO SEX RATIOS SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTION SOCIAL AFFAIRS SOCIAL CHANGE SOCIAL CLASS SOCIAL CONTROL SOCIAL MOVEMENTS SOCIAL NORMS SOCIAL ORGANIZATION SOCIAL SCIENCE SOCIAL SERVICES SOCIAL STATUS SOCIAL SUPPORT SOCIAL SYSTEMS SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETIES SOCIETY SOCIOLOGY SON PREFERENCE STATE POLICIES SYMBOLS TELEVISION TRANSPORTATION TV UNITED NATIONS UNMARRIED WOMAN URBAN AREAS URBAN WOMEN URBANIZATION VILLAGES WAR WARS WIFE WILL WIVES WOMAN WOMEN'S STATUS WORLD POPULATION YOUNG COUPLE YOUNG GIRLS YOUNG WOMEN Son preference is known to be found in certain types of cultures, that is patrilineal cultures. But what explains the fact that China, South Korea, and Northwest India manifest such extreme child sex ratios compared with other patrilineal societies? This paper argues that what makes these societies unique is that their pre-modern political and administrative systems used patrilineages to organize and administer their citizens. The interplay of culture, state, and political processes generated uniquely rigid patriliny and son preference. The paper also argues that the advent of the modern state in these settings has unraveled the underpinnings of the rigid patrilineal rules, and unleashed a variety of forces that reduce son preference. Firstly, the modern state has powerful tools for incorporating and managing its citizenry, rendering patrilineages a threat rather than an asset for the state. Secondly, the modern state has brought in political, social, and legal reforms aimed to challenge traditional social hierarchies, including the age and gender hierarchies of the kinship system. Thirdly, industrialization and urbanization have ushered in new modes of social organization, which reduce the hold of clans and lineages. Studies of the impact of the media suggest that states can accelerate the resultant decline in son preference, through media efforts to help parents perceive that daughters can now be as valuable as sons. 2012-03-19T19:14:20Z 2012-03-19T19:14:20Z 2009-12-01 http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20091203173119 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4341 English Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5148 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research South Asia The World Region East Asia and Pacific |