Sociology of Gender: Exploring Cultural Values and Gender Imbalance

This essay delves into the sociology of gender, specifically examining the preference for sons over daughters in societies like India and China, and its societal implications. The paper analyzes the cultural values and prejudices that contribute to this preference, exploring the reasons behind the reluctance of mothers to give birth to a girl child. It references the documentary "It's a Girl!" to illustrate the harsh realities faced by women and girls, including female feticide, infanticide, and societal pressures. The essay discusses the patriarchal family system, the misuse of technology like ultrasound, and the resulting gender imbalance. It concludes by highlighting the global war against the girl child and the need for gender equality, emphasizing the alarming excess of the male population and the increasing violence against women.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
Sociology of Gender
Name of the Student:
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Author Note:

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Giving birth to girl child is still considered to be a taboo in many parts of the world,
including countries like China and India. There are several social and cultural implications which
are associated with the preference of a son over a girl child in two of the largest countries in the
World, India and China. This is resulted in a terrible imbalance of gender on a continental scale
as men outnumber women by a great ratio and it’s alarming. The preference for a boy or a son,
can be explicated with the very attitude which is ingrained in the minds of people that a boy adds
more value to the value while a girl is more like a burden (Qazi, 2020). The thesis of the paper
will be to assess the reluctance of mothers to give birth to a girl child and the cultural values and
prejudices which are associated with such beliefs and attitudes in the society, which is giving rise
to an imbalance with respect to the movie “It’s a Girl!”.
The documentary “It’s a Girl” explores the current scenario in countries like China and
India where, giving birth to girls are still a taboo, and women are made to feel that giving birth to
family is a social ill (Mcmaster.kanopy.com., 2020). It documents experiences of women as they
share how haunting it is to see their daughters die, as they are unwanted in the family. Women
are made to bear multiple children, until they give birth to a son, who would carry the name of
the family ahead through generations and add worth to the family with his earnings and wealth.
This twisted thought of boys being more capable and worthy in a family has given rise to social
ills as abortion or girl child has increased as well as abandonment of infant girls, as they are
unwanted and are more like burden to be held up by the family.
The preference of a son or a boy as child, can be traced in the Southeast Asian countries
more as compared to the rest of the world. This is because, people tend to believe that men
would add value to the family by contributing with their earnings. This has taken shape of a
postnatal discrimination against girls. If a woman gives birth to a girl child, it is still a taboo, as

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she is blamed for the incapability to give birth to a boy child in the family. A boy, in such a
family setting or perception of family, does not only mean that a boy will be a bread earner, but
also take the legacy of the family ahead, preserving the family line. It is believed that a man is
far more responsible to take care or take responsibility of the parents when they become old and
ill (DeLugan, 2013). These thoughts, beliefs and prejudices have given rise to several other
practices which are deeply rooted in the patriarchal family system.
These beliefs and practices have been part of the society in Southeast Asian countries for
centuries now. The manifestations of such prejudices can be better exemplified with the activities
such female feticide, infanticide and neglect which result in premature mortality Robitaille &
Chatterjee, 2018). The ultrasound technology to detect sex of the child, at the time of pregnancy
was misused to a great extent in these countries which was followed by feticide if it was found
out that the child which was supposed to be born was a girl and not a boy (Kashyap &
Villavicencio, 2016). The exploitation of the ultrasound diagnostics and female feticide was a
growing concern for these countries, for which governments were compelled to put a ban on sex
determination process, in order to put an end to a century long prejudiced belief against girl
child.
Women dread giving birth to girl child because of societal and familial pressure as they
are expected to give birth to sons. It is shocking to learn about the experiences of mothers who
have faced tormenting pressures and violence for giving birth to a girl child in some instances. In
many rural areas, women talk about their haunting experiences of watching their daughters being
killed as they are unwanted in a patriarchal family as their values re determined on the basis of
their sex, which they do not even get to choose for themselves (Madan & Breuning, 2014). It is
still a taboo that parents, are not aware that a woman cannot or control to give birth to a girl or a

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boy child but are penalized for the same (Mitra, 2014). Whereas, the sex of a fetus depends of
the chromosome being carried by the sperm of the father and not the mother. Yet, the reality is
haunting as women are victimized as they give birth to girl child, which has increased reluctance
among mothers about giving birth to daughters.
It is feared by the family, especially the poor, that, if a girl child is born, it comes as an
extra expense as they are compelled to meet societal evils such as dowry when they come of age
and get married. Such social expectations still persists, even though the governments have put
ban on such ills, over five decades ago (Madan & Breuning, 2014). There are many families still
who expect monetary gifts to be given to the family of the groom. Gendercide, as a practice, is
not only common to the poor, but also among prejudiced middle class families as they preserve
those beliefs that a son is worth more value, as compared to a daughter (Mitra, 2014). Women
are still compelled to take ultrasound tests, which determine the sex of the baby, while
pregnancy, and the family gets to decide, whether or not they wish to keep the child on the basis
of the result, even though it is illegal in the country.
Women go through tortures, in many instances, if they the family gets to confirm that the
expecting mother is carrying girl child. Mothers are compelled to abort their child as a son is
more welcome than a girl to uphold family legacy and values (Chamberlain, 2020). A woman
also gets subjected to torture while being pregnant, which have been accounted for, with the
experiences of women from countries like China and India (DeLugan, 2013). It is a shocking
picture to witness in China, as couples are allowed to have their second child, only if they their
first child is a girl. It is disturbing how gendered the thoughts and provisions are, and thus keeps
gender equality at distance.

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The victims of these practices are essentially female, whether they are the children who
are killed or the mothers who are victimized. Violence against female are increasing all across
the world and in some countries, they are perpetuated through ruthless routines and practices
which are rooted in patriarchal expectations and beliefs (Mitra, 2014). There has been unnatural
excess of the male population as compared to women, which is alarming and is reflected in the
demography in the country. This imbalance is one of the primary reasons for the increasing
violence against women, as some countries are growing to be very unsafe for female population.
They are unsafe not only at home, but in all spheres of the society, as they are considered to be
unequal and less valuable. They are expected to remain under the dominance of men as the
prejudices are perpetuated which have created the centuries long idea that men are superior.
Gender equality is still a dream which is farfetched in many countries because of the social
scenario which is very haunting still.
It can thus be concluded that the documentary is very moving as it accounts for several ill
practices which has created imbalance between the male and population. There has been a global
war against girl child and it is very evident in countries like China and India. Gender equality is
still far from being actualized because of social ills like gendercide, feticide, infanticide, dowry
and so on.

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References
Chamberlain, G. (2020). Where a baby girl is a mother's awful shame. Retrieved 2 April 2020,
from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/23/india-gender
DeLugan, R. M. (2013). Exposing gendercide in India and China.
Kashyap, R., & Villavicencio, F. (2016). The dynamics of son preference, technology diffusion,
and fertility decline underlying distorted sex ratios at birth: A simulation
approach. Demography, 53(5), 1261-1281.
Madan, K., & Breuning, M. H. (2014). Impact of prenatal technologies on the sex ratio in India:
an overview. Genetics in Medicine, 16(6), 425-432.
Mcmaster.kanopy.com. (2020). Kanopy. Retrieved 2 April 2020, from
https://mcmaster.kanopy.com/product/its-girl
Mitra, A. (2014). Son preference in India: Implications for gender development. Journal of
Economic Issues, 48(4), 1021-1037.
Qazi, S. (2020). Gender violence in India: 'Daughters are not a burden'. Retrieved 2 April 2020,
from https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/11/gender-violence-india-
daughters-burden-171114101046432.html
Robitaille, M. C., & Chatterjee, I. (2018). Sex-selective abortions and infant mortality in India:
the role of parents’ stated son preference. The Journal of Development Studies, 54(1), 47-
56.