By Jessica Mack

Boy or Girl? Why Do More Americans Prefer Male Children?
We need a global overhaul of the way we value girls and women.
July 11, 2011

http://www.alternet.org/story/151602/boy_or_girl_why_do_more_americans_prefer_male_children/

If you were to have only one child, and could choose its sex, would you prefer a boy or a girl? If you secretly thought "boy," or had the guts to say it out loud, then you're not alone.

A recent Gallup poll showed that Americans prefer boys over girls, by about 40 percent to 28 percent, while about one-quarter had no preference. Perhaps not surprisingly, women reported a greater preference for girls while more men preferred boys, but men did so to a much higher degree. Age, education level and political leanings of respondents were also recorded, with a curious result: young, lesser educated men were the biggest champions of baby boys.

[...]

I think the cause for alarm here is not necessarily in the varying gender preferences of men and women, but the extremes to which those preferences can manifest. While sex-selective abortion is not a major issue in the US (yet, or that we know of), the line between theoretical preference and active discrimination is fine.

It's a world wide thing, not just in the US, which may have put numbers to it.

I slowly come to think it's buried in our genes and evolution has not so far changed it.

The male is supposed to be a fighter and a protector of? --- Female and offsprings.
He will also be much more likely to get killed in the processes then does the female, which may "only" get raped by the victor and so may produce yet more offsprings... get the picture.

This is Darwinian survival of the fittest etc.

Result? Need more males for "cannon fodder" says mother-nature to continue the breed.

Not very PC but it's too obvious to ignore. That's why so often MtF are seen as deserting the line --- and we can't even produce offsprings. Only bright ideas - at least SOMETHING :-)

How about that?
Axelle

Hmm

On both sides of my family, having a girl was much more of a happier occasion than having a boy. Some of my relatives would even say "omg I am so excited, I am actually having a girl!"

So I think it is all depending on where you live. For example, in China, it's not such a good thing but in places where sexual and gender orientation is inclusive i havent seen any type of major favoritism. But im sure its out there

In the context of western societies, it may be partly because of what we tend to admire in children.

Boys become big tough boys, able to take care of themselves.

Girls become manipulative, devious and end up shaming the family and getting pregnant.

But I also tend to favour the cannon fodder suggestion.

To some of the people who prefer sons so greatly, and who say marriage is between a man and a woman only.  I pose a simple question. 

Who will be YOUR son's potential domestic partner be if there are no women??   Huh "grandpa"?? (too).

  It is worse in China where about 120 boys (54.5%) are born to every 100 (45.5%) girls in the past 10 years due to China's one-child policy.  The boys are preferred due to the cultural pressures.  A boy will support you in your retirement years there.  In 20 years, children in the 5-10 yr old range will have a surplus of 5 million men from this group without female spouses in China. 
  Story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5953508/ns/world_news/t/china-grapples-legacy-its-missing-girls/
  Demographics, look at the age pyramid:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China
  Joelene