Fertility decline and gender bias in northern India.
نویسندگان
چکیده
Although it is widely acknowledged that the preference for sons is a barrier to a decline in fertility, considerable disagreement exists as to what actually happens to this preference when fertility declines in a region of low female autonomy. By analyzing the data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), we present evidence from northern India to show that the preference for sons is reduced when the ideal family size becomes small, even though it does not completely disappear. This finding appears to contradict trends in the juvenile sex ratio and the incidence of female feticide that suggest the intensification of gender bias. We argue that the anomaly is the result of a diffusion of prenatal sex-diagnostic techniques in regions where there is a large unmet demand for such methods. Using the NFHS data, we estimate that in northern India, girls currently constitute about 60% of the unwanted births and that the elimination of unwanted fertility has the potential to raise the sex ratio at birth to 130 boys per 100 girls.
منابع مشابه
Gender bias in China, South Korea and India 1920-1990: effects of war, famine and fertility decline.
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(Forthcoming in Development and Change, Special Issue on Gendered Poverty and Wellbeing) GENDER BIAS IN CHINA, SOUTH KOREA AND INDIA, 1920-90: effects of war, famine and fertility decline
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BACKGROUND An important question for population research is whether fertility decline transforms gender systems. OBJECTIVE This paper contributes to answering this broad question by examining how fertility decline may change the relative value and roles of daughters and sons in families. First, I outline theoretical pathways, suggesting that a key factor is the gender composition of families....
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عنوان ژورنال:
- Demography
دوره 40 4 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2003