The gender selection is very frequently tied to abortion as the means of applying preference.
As I'm sure you are all well aware, this debate has been very alive in India, where this practice seems well afoot - especially amongst those families with means.
Incidentally, with a preference towards boys.
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My view: Whilst I can see little reason to deny the option, I can also see the serious population imbalances this can produce (some good - like family economic potential or immediate social standing or forcing a revaluation of the rarer women; some bad - like the social destabilisation, the 'little emperor' effect, a shrinking diversity & distribution of gender perspective in a society) over time.
I generally consider a successful birth of a healthy child such a difficult and often dangerous enterprise, that I don't know why anyone would want to abort that particular gender if they are in fact ready and willing to start/expand their family.
As for alternate means of applying a gender preference, the same outcome opportunities and problems apply, though much of the issues surrounding abortion and faetal health can be side-stepped.
Incidentally, I probably shouldn't use the term 'gender' and instead clearly use the word, 'sex.' Gender is decidedly a more social construct, and is far more diverse than male/female.
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chiming
FYI, in practice now...
Date: November 14th, 2003 08:24 am (UTC)From:As I'm sure you are all well aware, this debate has been very alive in India, where this practice seems well afoot - especially amongst those families with means.
Incidentally, with a preference towards boys.
-----
My view: Whilst I can see little reason to deny the option, I can also see the serious population imbalances this can produce (some good - like family economic potential or immediate social standing or forcing a revaluation of the rarer women; some bad - like the social destabilisation, the 'little emperor' effect, a shrinking diversity & distribution of gender perspective in a society) over time.
I generally consider a successful birth of a healthy child such a difficult and often dangerous enterprise, that I don't know why anyone would want to abort that particular gender if they are in fact ready and willing to start/expand their family.
As for alternate means of applying a gender preference, the same outcome opportunities and problems apply, though much of the issues surrounding abortion and faetal health can be side-stepped.
Incidentally, I probably shouldn't use the term 'gender' and instead clearly use the word, 'sex.' Gender is decidedly a more social construct, and is far more diverse than male/female.