FMS-Blog : The Wildly Whimsical, Mostly Musical WebLog
Friday, August 11, 2006
Baby Boys
Just a thought for the day : I always wonder why when I chat to my married friends the majority of the blokes who express any feelings whatsoever about having children usually say that they would want to have a boy and, in some cases, keep trying through multiple pregnancies until a boy is born.
Of course, in other parts of the world there are very good cultural reasons for hoping that the offspring will be male - certain cultures do not recognise females as equals and actually the only way to pass on one's inheritance, education and experience would be to have a boy : girls will be provided with what they 'need' by the husband in later life and are often considered, to all intents and purposes, pretty useless to the family.
But in 21st Century Britain where sexual equality is now a basic tenet of our culture, having seeped into the phsyche of most people and even mostly been achieved in the workplace, there really is no practical advantage for a family to have a male rather than a female baby. Of course, even now in the UK inequality does go on to some degree in certain circles and many couples continue to observe outdated rituals such as the taking of a husband's name by a woman when she marries (thus, having part of who she is - her identifier - being removed and replaced by that of the man), but these are relatively minor. Also, in this day and age we are open to the concept that people do not have to confirm to gender stereotyping, choosing lifestyles that are relevant to their individual choices rather than preordained placements purely according to biological gender. And, yet, I continue to hear all the time that my male friends hope that their partners will give birth to a boy so that they can enjoy football and beer etc in later life.
Personally, I just don't have this internal desire to have a child of any specific gender - if and when I am in a position to have children I guess this might change but for the life of me I can't understand why it would!
Of course, in other parts of the world there are very good cultural reasons for hoping that the offspring will be male - certain cultures do not recognise females as equals and actually the only way to pass on one's inheritance, education and experience would be to have a boy : girls will be provided with what they 'need' by the husband in later life and are often considered, to all intents and purposes, pretty useless to the family.
But in 21st Century Britain where sexual equality is now a basic tenet of our culture, having seeped into the phsyche of most people and even mostly been achieved in the workplace, there really is no practical advantage for a family to have a male rather than a female baby. Of course, even now in the UK inequality does go on to some degree in certain circles and many couples continue to observe outdated rituals such as the taking of a husband's name by a woman when she marries (thus, having part of who she is - her identifier - being removed and replaced by that of the man), but these are relatively minor. Also, in this day and age we are open to the concept that people do not have to confirm to gender stereotyping, choosing lifestyles that are relevant to their individual choices rather than preordained placements purely according to biological gender. And, yet, I continue to hear all the time that my male friends hope that their partners will give birth to a boy so that they can enjoy football and beer etc in later life.
Personally, I just don't have this internal desire to have a child of any specific gender - if and when I am in a position to have children I guess this might change but for the life of me I can't understand why it would!
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. Of course, even now in the UK inequality does go on to some degree in certain circles and many couples continue to observe outdated rituals such as the taking of a husband's name by a woman when she marries (thus, having part of who she is - her identifier - being removed and replaced by that of the man)
This is not inequality, it is a tradition. You can opt out of marriage if you choose. Also many people choose to adopt those awful double-barreled names.
As for the football and beer bit, im not arsed either. Although it would concern me a little if as a result of whatever the reasons for wanting a boy, the girl was terminated either before giving birth or after, as has been the case in some cultures.
"Of course, in other parts of the world there are very good cultural reasons for hoping that the offspring will be male"
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This is not inequality, it is a tradition. You can opt out of marriage if you choose. Also many people choose to adopt those awful double-barreled names.
As for the football and beer bit, im not arsed either. Although it would concern me a little if as a result of whatever the reasons for wanting a boy, the girl was terminated either before giving birth or after, as has been the case in some cultures.
"Of course, in other parts of the world there are very good cultural reasons for hoping that the offspring will be male"
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