For students, scholars, and activists, Purewal (sociology, U. of Manchester, UK) examines the phenomenon of son preference and the variety of arguments that justify the preference for male children. Drawing from research, interviews, ethnographies, participant observation, and focus groups in India, London, and the US, she shows how son preference is spoken about, understood, and discussed culturally. Among the topics addressed are female infanticide by the British in the nineteenth century in India; the use of the sex ratios as an indicator of gender equality in Asia; the influence of political, material, and social processes; anti-sex selection activism; the impact of reproductive technologies; and perceptions of young women in contemporary Punjab. Distributed in the US by Palgrave Macmillan. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
The preference for male children transcends many societies and cultures, making it an issue of local and global dimensions. This title brings together key debates on the subject of son preference by assessing existing work in the field and providing fresh insights through primary research.
The preference for male children transcends many societies and cultures, making it an issue of local and global dimensions. While son preference is not a new phenomenon and has existed historically in many parts of Asia, its contemporary expressions illustrate the gendered outcomes of social power relations as they interact and intersect with culture, economy and technologies. Son Preference brings together key debates on the subject by assessing existing work in the field and providing new insights through primary research. The book covers a broad range of social science discussions and draws upon textual and ethnographic material from India. Son Preference will be useful to students, scholars, activists and anyone interested in the issues surrounding gender inequity, sex selection and skewed sex ratios.
