Abstract
Content analysis of birth announcements was used as a method to investigate parental preference for the sex of newborns in Canada. The expression of positive affect (happiness and pride) in birth announcements was examined to determine whether parents express these emotions differently as a function of the sex of newborn. The findings suggest that parents express relatively more pride at the birth of boys than girls, whereas the opposite results were found for happiness. Parents seem unconsciously to categorize boys and girls into two distinct motivational systems: status and attachment, which are related to pride and happiness, respectively. This distinction may influence parents’ perception of their child’s worth and their subsequent investment in their child’s development.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arnold, F., & Kuo, E. (1984). The value of daughters and sons: A comparative study of gender preferences of parents. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 15(2), 299–318.
Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent–child attachment and healthy human development. New York: Basic Books.
Browner, C. H. (1986). The politics of reproduction in a Mexican village. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 11(4), 710–724.
Calgary Herald. (2004). Classifieds—Births archive. Retrieved January 20, 2004, from Web site: http://classiefieds.canada.com/calgary/archives/index.aspx?cls_id=36425
Dahl, G., & Moretti, E. (2003, September). The demand for sons: Evidence from divorce, fertility, and shotgun marriage. Retrieved February 23, 2004, from Web site:http://gsbwww.uchicago.edu/labor/dahl.pdf
Davis, S. (1990). Men as success objects and women as sex objects: A study of personal advertisements. Sex Roles, 23, 43–50.
Gilbert, P. (2001). Evolution and social anxiety: The role of attraction, social competition, and social hierarchies. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 24, 723–751.
Gilory, F., & Steinbacher, R. (1983). Preselection of child’s sex: Technological utilization and feminism. Psychological Reports, 53, 671–676.
Keltner, D., & Kring, M. A. (1998). Emotion, social function, and psychopathology. Review of General Psychology, 2, 320–342.
Koestner, R., & Wheeler, L. (1988). Self-presentation in personal advertisements: The influence of implicit notions of attraction and role expectations. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 5, 149–160.
Krishnan, V. (1987). Preferences for sex of children: A multivariate analysis. Journal of Biosocial Sciences, 19, 367–376.
Krishnan, V. (1993). Gender of children and contraceptive use. Journal of Biosocial Sciences, 25(2), 213–221.
Lance, L. M. (1998). Gender differences in heterosexual dating: A content analysis of personal ads. Journal of Men’s Studies, 6(3), 297–308.
Leonhardt, D. (2003, October 26). It’s a girl! (Will the economy survive?). New York Times, p. C1.
Malhi, P. (1995). Influence of gender preference for children on fertility behavior: A comparative study of men and women in Haryana. Journal of Family Welfare, 41, 53–60.
Markle, G., & Nam, C. (1971). Sex predetermination: Its impact on fertility. Social Biology, 18, 73–82.
McDougall, J., DeWit, J. D., & Ebanks, E. G. (1999). Parental preferences for sex of children in Canada. Sex Roles, 41, 615–626.
Pebley, A., & Westoff, W. (1982). Women’s sex preferences in the United States: 1970–1975. Demography, 19(2), 177–189.
Pharis, M. E., & Manosevitz, M. (1984). Sexual stereotyping of infants: Implications for social work practice. Social Work Research and Abstracts, 20, 7–12.
Pooler, W. S. (1991). Sex of child preferences among college students. Sex Roles, 25, 569–576.
Rosenthal, R., & Rosnow, R. L. (1991). Essentials of behavioral research: Methods and data analysis. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Rubin, J. Z., Provenzano, F. J., & Luria, Z. (1974). The eye of the beholder: Parents’ view on sex of newborns. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 44, 512–519.
Siegal, M. (1987). Are sons and daughters treated more differently by fathers than by mothers? Developmental Review, 7, 183–209.
Sroufe, L. A. (1996). Emotional development: The organization of emotional life in the early years. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Statting, H., & Klackenberg-Larsson, I. (1991). The short-and-long-term implications for parent–child relations of parents’ prenatal preferences for their child’s gender. Developmental Psychology, 27, 141–147.
The Gazette. (2004). Classifieds—Births archive. Retrieved January 20, 2004, from Web site: http://classiefieds.canada.com/montreal/archives/index.aspx?cls_id=34480
Williamson, N. (1976). Sons or daughters: A cross-cultural survey of parental preferences. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gonzalez, A.Q., Koestner, R. Parental Preference for Sex of Newborn as Reflected in Positive Affect in Birth Announcements. Sex Roles 52, 407–411 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-005-2683-4
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-005-2683-4