Why Do More Than Half Of Indian Women Not Express A Preference For Sons?

Reviews the amendments of the 1868 Indian Act, highlighting the conflicts of superiority of rights to Indian men over women. Discusses the avoidance of violence and discrimination against women within communities and the need for an equal relationship between genders

Interestingly enough, women are subject as victims to a culture of son preference, yet they often create their hopes for the future from within that victimized by a system of son preference yet often construct their aspirations from within

These are the standards that men and women are held to in many Indian cultures. However, from the view of western audiences there is a lack of parity

According to Lynn Gehl, women who marry outside their own community lose their status within those boundaries and will not be able to regain their original level of influence upon transferring to their husband’s community. The Indian Act marginalized women and made them an outsider within their own culture (Ghel, 2000, p.67). This oppression stripped women of their rights socially, politically and economically and made them dependant people by European standards. The Indian Act took away the voice and influence aboriginal women had in their communities by creating a sexist environment dominated by their male counterpart. Taking away the traditional equality and replacing it with a male-supremacy frame of mind disenfranchised women of their right to fully participate in decision making processes within the family.

“The preference for male children is further emphasized by the finding that parents are more likely to continue having children if they have only girls than if they have only boys. Reasons given by women for their preference for sons are to please their husbands, to carry on the family name, and to be a companion to the husband.” (Witt, n.p.) There are also many more pieces of important evidence.

As a result of these reviews, the ongoing reconstruction of the social status and roles of Hindu women has brought about many new changes in Hinduism. Some of these changes include changes in education, health measures, problems of early marriages, the positions of widows, and the representation of women in governing bodies (Desai, et al., 1995). For example, within Hinduism now,

As a second generation Indian American woman, much of my experience as a gendered person has been shaped by familial values, especially those regarding the respective roles of men and women in the Indian household. The combination of a highly patriarchal society and an emphasis on family as the most dominant institution in Indian life translates to a family in which women are subordinate to men in every way. My gendered experience in an Indian family unit was not as extreme as traditional families in India due to the privilege I had of growing up in an upper-middle class socioeconomic household in a progressive American society. However, gender expectations in my family were rooted in the South Asian immigrant experience, exemplified through

Women were seen as natural and appropriate caregivers who experienced strain juggling the demands of work and familial responsibilities (Spitzer et al., 2003 p.282). Overall, both Spitzer et al (2003) and Beagan et al (2008) both found that women see their responsibility for food work, housework, child care, elderly care and etc. George & Ramikissoon (1998) looked at the experiences of South Asian women integrating themselves in Canada (p.103). The South Asian women had come to Canada either for political persecution, for economic reasons and because they wanted to provide a better future for their children (George & Ramkissoon,1998, p.108). Dasgupta (1998) conducted a study to view how much success immigrants have achieved instilling Indian cultural values in their children. This study was also done to explore the similarities in the attitudes toward women and dating amongst Asian Indian immigrants and their children (p.958). DasGupta (1998) argued that if an individual held a liberal attitude toward women’s role in society that it was likely she would have acceptance for dating

This joint family, like any social organization, must face problems such as acceptable division of work, relationships and specific family roles. These familial relationships are managed on the basis of a secular hierarchical principle. In fact, all Indians owe respect and obedience to the head of the family, who usually is the father or the oldest man of the family community. In The Gift of a Bride: A Tale of Anthropology, Matrimony and Murder by Nanda and Gregg, it is explained that, “females [are] placed under the perpetual guardianship of first their fathers and elder brothers, then their husbands.” (Nanda & Gregg 22) Thus, all the spending decisions, studies and profession, or marriage, are exclusively the responsibility of the father after the possible discussions with the other men of the family. Age and sex are the basic principles of this hierarchical system. The eldest sons enjoy greater unchallenged authority than their cadets. Of course men have more authority than women, but older married women have an important role within the family. In fact, the authority of a woman depends on the rank of her husband inside the group. Traditionally, the wife of the patriarch rules over domestic affairs and has considerable power over the other women in the community, especially her daughters- in-law.

People in India show a strong preference to not spend time raising girls. The sex birth ratio in India is one of the worst having 112 boys for every 100 girls born. Gill and Mitra-Kahn believe the reason for this lack of girls is due to

This article presents interesting information. Data from the PSID Marital History and Childbirth and Adoption History Files was used to estimate the effect of a child's gender on the mother's probability of marriage or remarriage. It has been said that having a son increases the chances of a successful or lasting marriage. One reason for this is the father and son bonding. The chances for remarriage may also depend on the gender of the mother's children. If a man is a better stepfather to boys then he might choose to be with a woman who has all sons or mostly sons. This article also discusses single mothers transition to marriage.

Traditionally, an Indian woman had only four roles and those were; Her role as a daughter, wife, sister, and lastly, a mother. The women in today’s time however are experiencing far reaching changes and are entering into new fields that were unknown to them. They are actively participating in social, economic and political activities. Unlike the older times, women today have received higher education.

An analysis of example can be derived from the aforementioned discriminatory sexist roles in India that prior to globalization highly favored the male population verses the female population. The female population in India has previously been less than second class citizens. Indian women's cultural roles have been previously defined by traditional customs that are centuries old and no longer apply in this day and age. Previous to globalization, Indian women were to take total domestic responsibility. They were not allowed formal education as the majority of teachers and pupils were male, and the chances of a female remaining chaste was slim in those settings, and related to tradition, females

The preference for male children is due to three major reasons. One is the economic value of having sons. Sons are more likely than daughters to provide family labour on the farm or in a family business, earn wages, and support their parents during old age. Upon marriage, a son brings a daughter-in-law into his family, and she provides additional help around the house as well as she brings riches in the form of dowry payments. Another important advantage of having sons is their social cultural utility. In India patriarchal family system, having one son is essential for the continuation of the family line, and many sons provide high status to the family. Vanaja Dhruvarajan says, "When a women becomes a mother, especially the mother of a son, her status goes up in her new home for having helped perpetuate the family" (87) Finally, the utility of having sons comes from the important religious functions that only sons can provide. In Hindu tradition, sons are needed to do the funeral of their deceased parents and to help in the salvation of their souls.

     This patriarchal role of males in the Indian family allows for all the power to be placed on the father of the household. This power can be abused which I would assume happens with the children in these families. The oldest male child has the authority to boss around his other siblings, and in the death of his father he then becomes the leader of the household. This could lead to many harsh or unfair ruling by older siblings or by other members of society. This would lead for the younger sibling to have to adjust greatly as they grow into adulthood. These rules that govern Indian household are often strict and are always final. This is accepted by all.