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The Demographic Masculinization of China

Hoping for a Son

  • Book
  • © 2013

Overview

Authors:
  1. Isabelle Attané

    1. Institut national d’études démographique, Paris, France

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  • Addresses exhaustively the issue of demographic masculinisation in China
  • Takes account of the 2010 Chinese census data
  • Provides a comprehensive review of the situation of women in China's society?

Part of the book series: INED Population Studies (INPS, volume 1)

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Table of contents (12 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xviii
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  2. Visible Demographic Discrimination

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Overview

      • Isabelle Attané
      Pages 3-12

    3. Why Are There More Boys Than Girls?

      • Isabelle Attané
      Pages 13-33

    4. A Geography of Discrimination

      • Isabelle Attané
      Pages 35-50

    5. Discrimination Against Girls in Early Childhood

      • Isabelle Attané
      Pages 51-57

    6. Life-Long Inequality

      • Isabelle Attané
      Pages 59-74

    7. A Phenomenon Not Unique to China

      • Isabelle Attané
      Pages 75-88

  3. A System of Norms and Values that Favours Males

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 89-89
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    2. The Status of Women in Traditional Chinese Society

      • Isabelle Attané
      Pages 91-98

    3. Women, Feminism and Femininity

      • Isabelle Attané
      Pages 99-117

    4. Persistent Social and Economic Disparities

      • Isabelle Attané
      Pages 119-133

    5. Discriminatory Practices and Factors in Masculinization

      • Isabelle Attané
      Pages 135-160

    6. Familial and Socioeconomic Reasons Behind Discrimination

      • Isabelle Attané
      Pages 161-172

    7. Conclusion: What Demographic Perspectives for China and the World?

      • Isabelle Attané
      Pages 173-180

  4. Back Matter

    Pages 181-198
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Keywords

About this book

This book describes the shortage of girls and women in present day China and focuses on two important features: the sex imbalance in childhood and youth, and the excess mortality of women at various stages of their life. The author analyzes the causes and the processes of a strong preference for sons, which generates discrimination toward females and results in a shortage of girls and women.   China’s higher proportion of men than women is a population characteristic that is shared by very few countries in the world. This demographic masculinity is unprecedented in the documented history of human populations, both in scale and its lasting impact on the numbers and the structure of the population.   Despite the economic boom of recent years, many families in China still consider girls to be less important than boys. Although Chinese women have become largely emancipated since the 1950s, they still do not have the same opportunities for social achievement as men, and Chinese society remains fundamentally rooted in highly gendered social and family roles. As a consequence, Chinese girl babies who have the misfortune to be born instead of a long-awaited son go by various names, such as Pandi (literally "awaiting a son"), Laidi ("a son will follow"), or Yehao ("she'll do too").   The book provides a comprehensive review of the situation of women in China’s society and shows that discrimination against girls and women is part of a system of norms and values that traditionally favours males.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Institut national d’études démographique, Paris, France

    Isabelle Attané

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