Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

In nearly all populations, in the absence of special circumstances, the numbers of males and females are approximately equal; female advantage in life expectancy balances the slightly higher birth rate of boys. Cultural practices such as infanticide, differential feeding, and provision of health care by sex have, in some populations in the past, led to an unequal ratio of boys to girls and higher mortality and morbidity for girls compared to boys. The last two decades of the twentieth century have, however, seen a rapid convergence in the treatment of children by sex, particularly in the developed world. Despite improvements in the treatment of girls and women, inequalities still exist, most notably in developing countries in Asia and Africa. In the developed world, waning parental preference for sons has led to a corresponding decline in differential treatment of children by sex. In the past, sex preferences were thought to be the result of the differing value of children of each sex in many cultures, gender roles enforced by traditionally patriarchal societies, and the desire of both parents to have a child whose sex matches their own. The decline in sex preference is thought to be the result of increased gender equality and broad attitudinal shifts across economic and socioeconomic lines. Further, in industrialized countries, children are seen less as an economic asset, but rather ... log in or subscribe to read full text