Sex Preference, Fertility, and Family Planning in China

Abstract

A pronounced preference of parents to have male children has been noted in a number of countries, although a desire for a balanced number of sons and daughters is also common (Williamson 1976; Arnold and Kuo 1984). Son preference is particularly prevalent in countries with strong Confucian traditions (Cleland, Verral, and Vaessen 1983; Cho, Arnold, and Kwon 1982; Freedman and Coombs, 1974). The extent of son preference has been the subject of considerable discussion and debate recently in China. It has been argued that the successful implementation of the one-child family policy has been hampered by lingering son preference, particularly in rural areas. For this reason, the Chinese government has undertaken measures to reduce the impact of son preference. As an example of educational efforts, family planning posters nearly always portray the only child in a one-child family as a daughter, in an attempt to legitimize the idea of a family without a son in the minds of the populace.KeywordsFamily PlanningFamily Planning ProgramFertility SurveyWorld Fertility SurveyState Statistical BureauThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.