(UN)WANTED FEMALE OFFSPRING FROM A TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PREFERENCE FOR SONS TO A PRAGMATIC PREFERENCE FOR DAUGHTERS IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA AND ITS EMANATION IN CHOSEN DEMOGRAPHIC ISSUES
(UN)WANTED FEMALE OFFSPRING FROM A TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PREFERENCE FOR SONS TO A PRAGMATIC PREFERENCE FOR DAUGHTERS IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA AND ITS EMANATION IN CHOSEN DEMOGRAPHIC ISSUES

Summary/Abstract: The neo-Confucian tradition in South Korea had influenced the number of fe-male Koreans that were born due to the patrilineality-caused aversion to daugh-ters and pre- and post-natal sex selection. The introduction of ultrasonographicdevices even deepened the sex ratio at birth (SRB), resulting in the state forbid-ding their use for prenatal sex determination. Since the 2000s, a preference fordaughters has been visible, and SRB is considered natural. The paper aims toshow changes in South Korean culture and approach towards the sex of the off-spring. It also aims to prove that a stronger cultural aversion to daughters in thepast in South Korea has changed as an result of cultural and societal transforma-tions, but also surprisingly of the traditional approach to gender roles – it is notgenerally emphasized and it can accelerate the drop in an already low total fertil-ity rate (TFR) in this country.

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