Son Preference in Indian Culture: An Empirical Study in Odisha

For more than 100 years, the Indian census has shown a marked gap between the number of boys and girls, men and women. This gap, which has nationwide implications, is the result of decisions made at the most local level the family. Common wisdom is that the preference for sons is motivated by economic, religious, social and emotional desires and norms that favour males and make females less desirable: Parents expect sons-but not daughters-to provide financial and emotional care, especially in their old age. Sons add to family wealth and property while daughters drain it through dowries; sons continue the family lineage while daughters are married away to another household. Sons perform important religious roles; and sons defend or exercise the family's power while daughters have to be defended and protected, creating a perceived burden on the household. Skewed sex ratio is an issue of major concern and has long-term social and demographic consequences. At the heart of the problem is the low status of women in society, a patriarchal social framework and value system based on ‘son mania’. The problem is getting worse as scientific methods of detecting the sex of the foetus is improving and termination of pregnancy is increasing day by day. The present study aims to find out what should be the ideal number of children a couple should have, the major reasons that prevails among the mothers to prefer a son than a daughter and the practice of contraceptive use among the mothers to defer their next pregnancy and how it is influenced by having a son or a daughter in their previous pregnancy.