Girls cost more - A pollFollow

I went with no because I don't want to have to facepalm when I see "President Insertlastnamehere Institutes Government Tax Breaks for Parents Electing to have Y-Sex Child." because people are having way too many boys or girls.

Also, to pay for all the abortions when the little hussies get knocked up.

Sex selection is obviously undesirable in societies still getting over their feudal roots. In modern Western countries where female emancipation is well established, I don't see a problem with it.

Barely anyone in the West is going to be biased towards boys because it's the only way to carry on the family "name", the family heritage, the family business, and because having a boy is the only way to guarantee your survival in your old age, or because a male heir is the only way to ensure the survival of your souls after death by keeping a family shrine.

Here children of particular sexes are mostly wanted for sentimental or compatability reasons. And for every prospective daddy that wants a little boy mini-me to wrestle and kick the football with, there's a prospective daddy that thinks little girls are the cutest thing on earth, and want one to wrestle and then take for a shoulder-ride.

I suspect that in Oz, North America and most of Europe if given the choice, overall it would even out to pretty much 50-50. If it didn't even out in any one year, then governments could make adjustments. Take way choice for first children, give small one-off bonuses for the birth of children of the "needed" sex. Things like that.

Edited, Feb 12th 2009 12:02am by Aripyanfar

Edited, Feb 12th 2009 12:02am by Aripyanfar

I said no and I find the thought of selection in the womb somewhat horrifying for all the reasons that Nexa already detailed. Some cultures still need to come into the 21st century ..

If I bore a child, I would not care if it were a boy or girl, athough I would like the opposite for baby no 2.

And only girls get married?

I've no idea of the statistics (or if there are any), but I don't know anyone personally who had either parent pay for their wedding. I know my mom helped out a lot with my sister's wedding...making invitations and whatnot, but not by outright paying for it. I'm sure that economic class would be the HUGE deciding factor there. I'm sure the girls on "My Super Sweet 16" or whatever get theirs paid for by daddy...but my "guess" would be that it's a decreasing phenomenon nation wide...especially in the current economic climate.

Nexa

We are by no means rich, but my mother had set aside a certain amount of money for my wedding. Which was good, because my husband's family only paid $400 for the flowers and the rest was our responsibility.

Thankfully, I didn't want a big wedding, so it was rather inexpensive, but I'm sure it was at least a couple thousand.

Well of course it is, but who knows when the data for this "girls cost more" research came from. And even at a decreased level, aside from the anectodal evidence, it would still be a contributing factor toward the national average.

Edit: forgot to add that the original comment was mostly tongue-in-cheek anyway.



Edited, Feb 12th 2009 9:55am by trickybeck

It's much more common in the west than you realize. MUCH more common.

i would get a son and raise him to be a warrior! then i'll take up polygamy and raise a legion of warriors! and build a fort!

but in all seriousness i would pick a son, and get him into wrestling at the age of 5-6 and boxing at the age of 12

I voted no, apart from this being bad for balance in society (as a fair few have a preferred gender) I also think it could have an impact on a more local level, like partners disagreeing about what sex (of child) they want or their parents/extended family trying to nudge the prospective parents n a particular direction.

Personally when I have children I won't mind what gender they are as long as they are healthy, even if I had multiples of one gender I wouldn't want the opposite just for something different. I'll be happy when society stops being so focused on what reproductive organs are person has and more on their behaviour towards others.