A mother bonding with her daughter in a park in Beijing. (Photo : Reuters)
What is the secret to happiness? If Chinese parents are to be asked and the choices lie between having sons or daughters, then the answer will be having daughters, said a study conducted by two professors.
The joint study of Professor Liu Guoen of Peking University and Associate Professor Lu Fangwen of Renmin University of China shed new light on the age-old Chinese belief that sons bring more pride and joy to parents. The two professors said that times have changed, and nowadays, parents who have daughters are happier than those who have sons.
The research said that when children are between ages 17 and 30, those parents who have daughters are happier than those who have male ones. When daughters reach the ideal marrying age--that is, 24-30--the parents even become happier.
Money, for one, generally has something to do with the gender preference.
Traditional Chinese custom dictates that before a man gets married, he must first purchase a house or a piece of land and have a house built on it, which is a huge undertaking. In present-day China where prices of real estate can soar high up to the sky, the undertaking becomes a tough challenge.
If parents have daughters, they won’t be bothered about the staggering prices of real estate properties. The parents of male children can do the worrying on their behalf.
Parents who have daughters don’t concern themselves much on the education they could provide for them. The burden of occupational prestige where educational background can be a big factor falls on the shoulders of male children and their parents.
Professor Yuan Xin of Nankai University agreed that times have changed, as evidenced by the new reality concerning the care of elderly parents. He said the eldest son is no longer expected to safeguard the wellbeing of their aging parents because the government can now provide them with social benefits.
Times also changed the status of women in contemporary China, said Professor Yuan. More women today join the workforce, with possibilities of even getting a job with high occupational prestige since they have access to quality education.
With the rising status of women and with money matters putting pressure on men, there are now many reasons why more parents prefer having daughters than sons.
