baltassoc |
10-14-2003 05:41 PM |
More on "girls cause divorce"
Quote:
Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
What I found interesting was the theory that divorced mothers of daughters are less likely to remarry than divorced mothers of sons because mothers don't want to expose their daughters to a potentially predatory stepfather. I wonder (1) whether this can be borne out in further research; and (2) what portion of this decision is actually conscious; and (3) whether the "I can't date men because he might sleep with my daughter" factor is a source of long-term resentment by Mom and destructive to the maternal relationship.
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Part 1 of two part response:
I thought the adoption explanation was interesting too, as an example of completely screwed up reasoning:
Quote:
Other readers offered what they thought was counterevidence: Adoption agencies report a higher demand for girls. But this is exactly what you'd expect in a world where parents prefer boys. In such a world, boys will tend to be put up for adoption when there's something seriously wrong with them, but many girls will be put up for adoption simply for being girls. So, if I'm looking to adopt a bright healthy child, of course I'll choose a girl: I expect that among children put up for adoption, girls are on average brighter and healthier than boys. I could well make this choice even if I prefer boys to girls, as long as my preference for bright and healthy is stronger.
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This ONLY applies if the person choosing to adopt knows of the preference for girls. It only works if someone games the system, and gaming the system requires knowledge thereof. Without knowledge, the presumption would be that whatever forces are in place to give preference to boys exists, exist equally for adopted children.
An equally valid explanation for why parents of girls try to have children again is that the first experience was a pleasant one worth repeating, while on average parents of boys say to themselves: "another kid? no way in hell."
An equally valid explanation for the divorce rate is that mothers (who are still the primary caregivers post-divorce in this country) are more likely to be scared of having to raise a hellion/boy alone. This also serves as an explanation for remarriage rates.
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