Why is Son Preference so Persistent in East and South Asia? A Cross-Country Study of China, India, and the Republic of Korea
Son preference has persisted in the face of sweeping economic and social changes in China, India, and the Republic of Korea. The authors attribute this to their similar family systems, which generate strong disincentives to raise daughters while va...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2002/12/2122050/son-preference-so-persistent-east-south-asia-cross-country-study-china-india-republic-korea http://hdl.handle.net/10986/19191 |
| Summary: | Son preference has persisted in the face
of sweeping economic and social changes in China, India, and
the Republic of Korea. The authors attribute this to their
similar family systems, which generate strong disincentives
to raise daughters while valuing adult women's
contributions to the household. Urbanization, female
education, and employment can only slowly change these
incentives without more direct efforts by the state and
civil society to increase the flexibility of the kinship
system such that daughters and sons can be perceived as
being more equally valuable. Much can be done to this end
through social movements, legislation, and the mass media. |
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