Son preference is an idiom in China. Pinyin is zhòng nán qěng nǐ, which means that boys are preferred to girls. Refers to the feudal thought of despising women. . From "Lin Yuan" 20: "My pouting is ashamed and happy, what a young girl, the idea of preferring sons to daughters."

Preference for boys is an unequal concept between men and women in society. It attaches importance to men's rights and interests, defines women as men's subordinates, and restricts women's opportunities to develop their personal talents and personal freedom.

This concept is common in male-dominated society, often accompanied by the concept of male superiority and gender division of labor. The concept of son preference will also affect parents' willingness to have boys and girls. For example, Oracle Bone Inscriptions in ancient China thought it was good to have boys, but not good to have girls.

Living custom

In some social cultures and customs, there will be a preference for sons over daughters. For example, some rural areas in China stipulate that women who have never given birth to boys cannot attend weddings. In the traditional funeral ceremony in East Asia, the mourning for paternal relatives is more important than that for maternal relatives of the same generation, such as mourning for uncles.

Even if they are paternal or maternal relatives, the mourning for men will be heavier than that for women. For example, mourning for uncles is heavier than mourning for aunts.

Some languages also show a preference for boys over girls. For example, in Chinese, "women's opinion" refers to the opinions of people without knowledge, and "women's benevolence" refers to kindness that does not take care of the overall situation and contains the meaning of belittling women's intelligence.