Imbalanced Sex Ratio at Birth and Son Preference: A Demand Perspective

An abnormal sex ratio at birth (SRB) is an inevitable consequence and common phenomenon among countries with a strong son preference in the process of demographic transition. It reflects that, in certain cultural context, individual interests of females conflicts with household and group interests. Based on the latest data and drawing on a demand perspective, this paper elaborates the foundations of son preference and proposes suggestions to alleviate such proclivity and reduce SRB. It points out that gender inequality at the group level may provide individuals and households with better survival opportunities, better security, better social status and esteem, and better chance of realization of individual life goals, leading to and maintaining the demand for a son. Hence, to effectively reduce SRB it is necessary to first sort out, identify and classify the various demands for son(s) and accordingly find substitutes of son(s) that highlight gender equality to meet individual needs’ for survival, security, self-esteem and self-realization. Then, various forces from the government and society should be joined together to further shake the basis of son preference. Only when these demands are appropriately and effectively supplied by gender sensitive alternatives, can the skewed SRB be brought back to normalcy.