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Conflicts and son preference: Micro-level evidence from 58 countries
Srinivas Goli1, Astghik Mavisakalyan2, Anu Rammohan3
1Australia India Institute, University of Western Australia, Australia; Department of Fertility and Social Demography, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, India.
Economics and Human Biology
|May 23, 2022
Summary
Armed conflict exposure increases son preference and the likelihood of having sons. Conflict history significantly explains global variations in sex ratios, impacting demographic trends.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Demography
- Conflict Studies
Background:
- Son preference is a documented social phenomenon in many cultures.
- Previous research on conflict and son preference is limited to single-country descriptive studies.
- The impact of armed conflict on demographic preferences remains under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically analyze the association between armed conflict exposure and son preference.
- To investigate whether conflict exposure influences the realization of son preference.
- To examine the aggregate effect of conflict on cross-country sex ratios.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a large-scale dataset (>1.1 million individuals) from 58 countries (2003-2018).
- Statistical examination of the correlation between conflict incidence/intensity and son preference.
- Cross-country analysis of sex ratios in relation to conflict history.
Main Results:
- Both the incidence and intensity of conflict exposure are significantly associated with increased son preference.
- Individuals exposed to conflict are more likely to have sons than daughters.
- Conflict history is a key factor in explaining cross-country variations in sex ratios.
Conclusions:
- Armed conflict exacerbates son preference and skews sex ratios.
- Conflict's impact on demographic preferences has significant societal implications.
- Further research should explore the mechanisms linking conflict and son preference.
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