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Parental sex-preferences in South Africa: culture and family composition

Author

Listed:
  • Michel Garenne

    (University of Western Cape
    University of the Witwatersrand
    UMI Résiliences
    Université d’Auvergne)

  • Nancy Stiegler

    (University of Western Cape)

Abstract

The study investigates parental sex-preferences for children in South Africa, using answers to the 2016 DHS survey. Some 8514 women and 3618 men were asked about the ideal composition of their family. Results show major differences between women and men: women were more often indifferent (11.9% vs. 9.9%), equalitarian, i.e. preferring the same number of boys and girls (53.1% vs. 43.1%) or preferring more girls (16.7% vs. 8.4%) than men, while men were more likely to prefer more boys (37.6% vs. 18.3%). The relative preference for girls was therefore 4.1 larger for women than for men. Several socio-economic factors were investigated: urban residence, level of education, household wealth, and exposure to media, but had hardly any impact on sex-preferences. In contrast, cultural and ethnic factors were strong. White/European groups had higher preference for boys, while Black/African groups showed virtually no differential preference between boys and girls, like in nearby southern African countries. Some minor differences could be noted among ethnic groups, in particular among Zulus and Xhosas. At ethnic level, nuptiality, in particular polygyny, and household structure showed a correlation with sex-preferences. Lastly, current family composition had an effect on stated preferences, showing that on average men and women were rather satisfied with the sex-composition of their family.

Suggested Citation

  • Michel Garenne & Nancy Stiegler, 2023. "Parental sex-preferences in South Africa: culture and family composition," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 1-15, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:joprea:v:40:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s12546-023-09318-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s12546-023-09318-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kana Fuse, 2010. "Variations in attitudinal gender preferences for children across 50 less-developed countries," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 23(36), pages 1031-1048.
    2. Lata Gangadharan & Pushkar Maitra, 2003. "Testing for Son Preference in South Africa," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 12(3), pages 371-416, September.
    3. Grace Agyemang Frempong & Samuel Nii Ardey Codjoe, 2017. "Sex preferences for children in Ghana: the influence of educational attainment," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 34(4), pages 313-325, December.
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