Is it really that important to have a son?

In fact, this is a worldwide phenomenon. Not only in China, but also in all the societies in the world, the status of women is inferior to that of men.

Despite the emergence of feminism and the gradual popularization of the so-called equal rights thought, we have to admit that this is still an unequal society in the final analysis. In some families, especially in rural areas, it has become the norm to have only sons.

Why are people so keen on having sons? Is it really that important to have a son? I want to answer the following questions:

I. Differences in advantages between men and women

Physiologically speaking, women's bodies are weaker than men's, and they are more restricted by the obligation to carry on the family line, while men's bodies are freer and stronger. Because of this feature, women's childbirth and breastfeeding have almost decided that mothers should take care of babies, so social roles are regarded as trivial matters such as taking care of children and housework. Women's social activities are limited, their social ties are not so close, and men have more rights to go out and take on greater responsibilities. The party with the right to speak is often the main source of the economy. From this perspective, men enjoy more advantages than women. That's why so many families want sons. After all, no one wants their children to occupy the passive and weak side in marriage life in the future.

Second, the feudal concept of carrying on the family line.

From the traditional point of view, a girl is a spilled water, a daughter-in-law who marries someone else's house, and only a son is the key to raising a child and preventing old age. Only by having children can the family's incense continue, ensure productivity and family expansion, and thus gain an advantage in the competition with other families. Ancient emperors were willing to have three palaces and six courtyards, in order to flourish and enhance the prestige of China. Mothers depend on their children, and only sons can transmit social relations and materials in a family mode, and even only sons can legally solve this problem.

Three. The influence of historical factors

In ancient times, the living environment was bad. Population shortage, disease and food shortage seriously affect human reproduction. So there is a preference for sons over daughters and polygamy, which is conducive to the spread of genes. But now that the society is stable and the resources are richer, it has gradually evolved into monogamy. However, the historical tradition that has lasted for many years cannot be changed overnight, especially in some backward areas, giving birth to sons has become a traditional custom of families.

In the final analysis, this society is still a patriarchal society, just look at the children's surnames. Originally, men and women could work and have different talents to develop resources, but men in a patriarchal society want to control women as accessories and refuse women to have more power. Under the influence of this global environment, son preference has become a structural problem, and we still have a long way to go to truly break this imbalance.

About the author: Beaver. Master of Communication in Italy. Weibo, signing author of reading and signing author of simplified books.