Type of Document	Thesis
Author	Sineath, Sherry Aldrich
Author's Email Address	sanskritlady@aol.com
URN	etd-04062004-180901
Title	Son Preference and Sex Selection Among Hindus in India
Degree	Master of Arts
Department	Religion, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Kathleen Erndl Committee Chair Aline Kalbian Committee Member Bryan Cuevas Committee Member
Keywords	son preference sex selection
Date of Defense	2004-03-23
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract There is strong pressure among Hindus to prefer sons, and this is most apparent through the example of India’s exceptionally high prevalence of sex-selective abortions, and by other practices such as female infanticide and neglect that contribute to excess female mortality. The paper examines how, why, and to what degree son preference has a detrimental impact on the survival and status of Hindu females in India. Drawing from persistent socio-religious themes--reverence for the female in the traditional roles of wife and mother; a pronounced emphasis on the importance of the family unit; goddess worship; the strong desire for sons; dominance of the male; and subordinate status of the female--there is evidence of both discrimination against the female and a corresponding acknowledgement of her special powers and value. It is concluded that the widespread practice of dowry is the major, but not sole, cause exacerbating son preference to the extent that India sex ratios are abnormally imbalanced in favor of males.
Files	Filename       Size       Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)     28.8 Modem   56K Modem   ISDN (64 Kb)   ISDN (128 Kb)   Higher-speed Access    01_sas_prelims.pdf 64.34 Kb 00:00:17 00:00:09 00:00:08 00:00:04 < 00:00:01   02_sas_text.pdf 442.26 Kb 00:02:02 00:01:03 00:00:55 00:00:27 00:00:02   03_sas_bibliographyandbio.pdf 175.13 Kb 00:00:48 00:00:25 00:00:21 00:00:10 < 00:00:01