scholarly journals Patrilocality and Child Sex Ratios in India

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srinivas Goli ◽  
Somya Arora ◽  
Neha Jain ◽  
TV Sekher

In multi-level and multi-layered foundations of gendered approaches for understanding the kinship system, son preferences, and male-skewed child sex ratios in India; patriarchy, and patrilineality have received greater attention than patrilocality. To fill this gap, in this study, we construct a measure of patrilocality and examine its association with skewed child sex ratios. We hypothesize that households practice sex selection and daughter discrimination because of patrilocal norms that dictate the later life co-residence between parents and sons. Our findings reveal that the child sex ratio, the sex ratio at birth, and the sex ratio at last birth are positively correlated with the patrilocality rates across states and districts of India. The relationship holds across the multiple robustness checks. Findings, although not surprising, emerge from the robust empirical analyses at a time when child sex ratios continue to worsen in India, notwithstanding the country’s socio-economic progress. We conclude that in the absence of strong social security measures and lack of preference for old-age homes amidst the accepted practice of patrilocality coupled with increasing lower fertility norms, the dependency on sons will continue and further lead to the continuation of sex selection in India.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sital Kalantry

Legal prohibitions on sex-selective abortions are proliferating in the United States. Eight state legislatures have banned abortions sought on the basis of the sex of the fetus, 21 states have considered such laws since 2009, and a similar bill is pending in U.S. Congress. These laws have been introduced and enacted without any empirical data about their impact or effectiveness. Prior studies of U.S. Census data found sex ratios among foreign-born Chinese, Korean and Indian immigrants were skewed in favor of boys, but only in families where there were already one or two girls. Using the variation in the timing of bans in Illinois and Pennsylvania as natural experiments, we compare the pre-ban and post-ban sex ratios of certain Asian newborn children in these states over 12-year periods. We then compare these ratios with the sex ratios of Asian newborn children in neighboring states during the same period. We find that the bans in Illinois and Pennsylvania are not associated with any changes in sex ratios at birth among Asians. In Illinois and its neighboring states, the sex ratio at birth of Asian children was not male-biased during our study period. On the other hand, the sex ratio at birth among Asians in Pennsylvania and its neighboring states was skewed slightly in favor of boys, but the enactment of the ban did not normalize the sex ratio. This strongly suggests that sex-selective abortion bans have had no impact on the practice of sex selection, to the extent that it occurs, in these states. This finding is highly relevant to legislative and policy debates in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures where sex-selective abortion laws are being considered.Published: Sex-selective Abortion Bans are Not Associated with Changes in Sex Ratios at Birth in Illinois and Pennsylvania (with Arindam Nandi and Brian Citro), Forum on Health and Economic Policy, December 2014 (peer-reviewed journal).


2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-64
Author(s):  
Arindam Nandi ◽  
Sital Kalantry ◽  
Brian Citro

Abstract Legal prohibitions on sex-selective abortions are proliferating in the United States. Eight state legislatures have banned abortions sought on the basis of the sex of the fetus, 21 states have considered such laws since 2009, and a similar bill is pending in U.S. Congress. These laws have been introduced and enacted without any empirical data about their impact or effectiveness. Prior studies of U.S. Census data found sex ratios among foreign-born Chinese, Korean and Indian immigrants were skewed in favor of boys, but only in families where there were already one or two girls. Using the variation in the timing of bans in Illinois and Pennsylvania as natural experiments, we compare the pre-ban and post-ban sex ratios of certain Asian newborn children in these states over 12-year periods. We then compare these ratios with the sex ratios of Asian newborn children in neighboring states during the same period. We find that the bans in Illinois and Pennsylvania are not associated with any changes in sex ratios at birth among Asians. In Illinois and its neighboring states, the sex ratio at birth of Asian children was not male-biased during our study period. On the other hand, the sex ratio at birth among Asians in Pennsylvania and its neighboring states was skewed slightly in favor of boys, but the enactment of the ban did not normalize the sex ratio. This strongly suggests that sex-selective abortion bans have had no impact on the practice of sex selection, to the extent that it occurs, in these states. This finding is highly relevant to legislative and policy debates in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures where sex-selective abortion laws are being considered.


2006 ◽  
Vol 66 (2b) ◽  
pp. 603-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. S. Pereira ◽  
A. P. Prado

In fig wasps, mating takes place among the offspring of one or a few foundress mothers inside the fig from which mated females disperse to found new broods. Under these conditions, related males will compete with each other for mating and several studies have shown female bias in brood sex ratios as a response to Local Mate Competition (LMC). Studying Pegoscapus tonduzi which pollinates Ficus citrifolia in Brazil, we analysed the effect of LMC (number of foundresses) on the sex ratio of the offspring of pollinating wasps. The relationship between the foundress number and brood sex ratio qualitatively followed the theory, however the empirical sex ratio was more female biased than expected from theoretical values. The model for an optimal sex ratio considers that each foundress wasp contributes the same number of eggs to be bred and that the violation of this assumption may explain the lack of adjustment in relation to the theory.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Anukriti

Can financial incentives resolve the fertility-sex ratio trade-off faced by countries with persistent son preference and easy access to sex-selection technology? An Indian program, Devi Rupak, that seeks to lower fertility and the sex ratio is unable to do so. Although fertility decreases, the sex ratio at birth worsens as high son preference families are unwilling to forgo a son despite substantially higher benefits for a daughter. Thus, financial incentives may only play a limited role in the resolution of the fertility-sex ratio conflict. (JEL I38, J13, J16, J18, O15)


Author(s):  
Ma. Dulce C. Guillena

Gonado-somatic index and fecundity are tools for measuring the sexual maturity and ability of animals to reproduce.  This study investigates the reproduction of Trichiurus lepturus. Specifically, this aimed to determine the sex ratio, the GSI, the relationship between fecundity and total length, fecundity and total weight, fecundity and ovary weight. The Descriptive Method of research was used.  Percentage and chi-square was utilized in determining the percentage of occurrence and sex ratio respectively.   Pearson r Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation was used to determine the relationships of the parameters. The study revealed that females outnumbered males and the sex ratio for different month showed significant difference.  Spawning season was observed to occur in November and December as revealed in its GSI values and it synchronized with the full and new moon phases.  Fecundity is positively correlated with body weight, body size, and ovary weight where ovary weight is observed to be the best index for fecundity.  The results of this study could be used further for formal stock assessment of cutlassfish fishery.


Think India ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 186-192
Author(s):  
Dr. Oinam Ranjit Singh ◽  
Dr. Nushar Bargayary

The Bodo of the North Eastern region of India have their own kinship system to maintain social relationship since ancient periods. Kinship is the expression of social relationship. Kinship may be defined as connection or relationships between persons based on marriage or blood. In each and every society of the world, social relationship is considered to be the more important than the biological bond. The relationship is not socially recognized, it fall outside the realm of kinship. Since kinship is considered as universal, it plays a vital role in the socialization of individuals and the maintenance of social cohesion of the group. Thus, kinship is considered to be the study of the sum total of these relations. The kinship of the Bodo is bilateral. The kin related through the father is known as Bahagi in Bodo whereas the kin to the mother is called Kurma. The nature of social relationships, the kinship terms, kinship behaviours and prescriptive and proscriptive rules are the important themes of the present study.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 342-342
Author(s):  
Jason Newsom ◽  
Emily Denning ◽  
Ana Quinones ◽  
Miriam Elman ◽  
Anda Botoseneanu ◽  
...  

Abstract Racial/ethnic disparities in multimorbidity (≥2 chronic conditions) and their rate of accumulation over time have been established. Studies report differences in physical activity across racial/ethnic groups. We investigated whether racial/ethnic differences in accumulation of multimorbidity over a 10-year period (2004-2014) were mediated by physical activity using data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 10,724, mean age = 63.5 years). Structural equation modeling was used to estimate a latent growth curve model of changes in the number of self-reported chronic conditions (of nine) and investigate whether the relationship of race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, non-Hispanic White) to change in the number of chronic conditions was mediated by physical activity after controlling for age, sex, education, marital status, personal wealth, and insurance coverage. Results indicated that Blacks engaged in significantly lower levels of physical activity than Whites (b = -.171, □ = -.153, p < .001), but there were no differences between Hispanics and Whites (b = -.010, □ = -.008, ns). Physical activity also significantly predicted both lower initial levels of multimorbidity (b = -1.437, □ = -.420, p < .001) and greater decline in multimorbidity (b = -.039, □ = -.075, p < .001). The indirect (mediational) effect for the Black vs. White comparison was significant (b = .007, □ = .011, 95% CI [.004,.010]). These results provide important new information for understanding how modifiable lifestyle factors may help explain disparities in multimorbidity in middle and later life, suggesting greater need to reduce sedentary behavior and increase activity.


2021 ◽  
pp. 140349482110100
Author(s):  
Ralph Catalano

Aims: To determine whether differences between Norway’s and Sweden’s attempts to contain SARS-CoV-2 infection coincided with detectably different changes in their all-cause mortality sex ratios. Measuring temporal variation in the all-cause mortality sex ratio before and during the pandemic in populations exposed to different constraints on risky behavior would allow us to better anticipate changes in the ratio and to better understand its association with infection control strategies. Methods: I apply time Box–Jenkins modeling to 262 months of pre-pandemic mortality sex ratios to arrive at counterfactual values of 10 intra-pandemic ratios. I compare counterfactual to observed values to determine if intra-pandemic ratios differed detectably from those expected as well as whether the Norwegian and Swedish differences varied from each other. Results: The male to female mortality sex ratio in both Norway and Sweden increased during the pandemic. I, however, find no evidence that the increase differed between the two countries despite their different COVID-19 containment strategies. Conclusion: Societal expectations of who will die during the COVID-19 pandemic will likely be wrong if they assume pre-pandemic mortality sex ratios because the intra-pandemic ratios appear, at least in Norway and Sweden, detectably higher. The contribution of differences in policies to reduce risky behavior to those higher ratios appears, however, small.


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