Messing with science?

[anriana]

China and India are currently facing a shortage of women due to people aborting female fetuses in sex selective abortions. It makes far more sense to me to choose a fetus's gender at the very beginning than repeat a cycle of several months of pregnancy followed by surgery until the parents get the result they want.

[Rapscallion]

You know, with such an extreme attitude of not wanting women, women are going to become scarce and therefore valued...

Watch that space (the one between their ears).

Rapscallion

[DesignFox]

You know, with such an extreme attitude of not wanting women, women are going to become scarce...

That is what scares me a bit...and it's damn bothersome that entire cultures have this "women are worthless" attitude. Thankfully, this isn't as prevalent in today's society, but it irks me that it still exists in places.

Additionally, from an evolutionary standpoint, it makes no sense to abort females.

The world would go on with one man (assuming he wasn't impotent) and a bunch of women. Humanity would be screwed with one woman and a bunch of men. One woman can only bear so many children...and it isn't exactly a fast process.

Besides, I don't see why anyone would value their child any more or less based off of its gender.



Oh wait...logic.

[Sylvia727]

Additionally, from an evolutionary standpoint, it makes no sense to abort females.

The world would go on with one man (assuming he wasn't impotent) and a bunch of women. Humanity would be screwed with one woman and a bunch of men. One woman can only bear so many children...and it isn't exactly a fast process.

Which is why men started becoming soldiers. If 9 out of 10 of them die, don't worry; the 10th guy will be more than happy to, ah, console the widows.

I don't think it's a 'women are worthless' attitude on the individual level, though, but more an acknowledge of the glass ceiling. If you can only have one child, wouldn't you want it to be the gender that makes more money and lives a better life?

It's not just China, either. I've encountered this attitude in my own neck of the woods, too, the Midwestern USA. Around here, it's disguised as chivalry, or family values. The wife shouldn't have to work, or she should be there for the kids. When I was ten years old, some adult relatives were asking me where I thought I'd go in life, asking about my future husband, future children, future house, etc. My mom asked me about my future job (I wanted to be a lawyer - I was a messed up kid ) These narrow-minded relatives exclaimed, "But how will you raise your children if you have a job?!" and my true devious nature was revealed; I was going to marry a stay-at-home dad. You'd have thought I was going to marry Satan, or possibly even a homosexual. It was quickly explained to me that REAL men have jobs and PROPER women stay home with the kids. So I wouldn't be surprised to see gender selection around here, either.

[DesignFox]

It was quickly explained to me that REAL men have jobs and PROPER women stay home with the kids. So I wouldn't be surprised to see gender selection around here, either.

Well, your relatives would have a heart attack if they talked to me, too. I don't want any kids. I just want a horse.

Seriously though, the idea that that would start happening scares me. Nature balances itself out. Meddling with that balance...not a good idea!

[Seshat]

When I was ten years old, some adult relatives were asking me where I thought I'd go in life, asking about my future husband, future children, future house, etc. My mom asked me about my future job (I wanted to be a lawyer - I was a messed up kid ) These narrow-minded relatives exclaimed, "But how will you raise your children if you have a job?!" and my true devious nature was revealed; I was going to marry a stay-at-home dad. You'd have thought I was going to marry Satan, or possibly even a homosexual. It was quickly explained to me that REAL men have jobs and PROPER women stay home with the kids. So I wouldn't be surprised to see gender selection around here, either.

. . . and I've had people tell me how unnecessary and outdated feminism is.

Le sigh.

[anriana]

Besides, I don't see why anyone would value their child any more or less based off of its gender.



Oh wait...logic.

China has a one child policy so parents only get one choice if they want a male child.

India has a dowry system so female children drain the family financially.


The situations which create the preference for male children are stupid, but the decisions are logical.

[DesignFox]

China has a one child policy so parents only get one choice if they want a male child.

India has a dowry system so female children drain the family financially.

The situations which create the preference for male children are stupid, but the decisions are logical.

Oh, I understand those reasons. I was referring to people in the US who don't face those kinds of restrictions.

I figure the people you've mentioned will either change culturally, or those ideals will fade out as their population declines and there's no one around to buy into it.

I'm glad I live in a country where I'm valued for who I am...but that's another topic.

[blas87]

Oh please, I've already been considered "disowned" by a few relatives for being too much of a "city girl" with "frivolous dreams and silly goals" of having a career and making sure that I never have children and put marraige as my last priority.

[Sylvia727]

The problem is only going to get worse if primarily sexist countries don't reshape their thinking. Taking China for example, MSNBC puts their numbers at 120 boys for every 100 girls, with the disparity quickly rising. When those girls grow up, do you think they will be given a choice as to their future? It will be their civic duty to marry someone. And what will the leftover men do for mates? We could very well see male homosexuality being encouraged sharply while female homosexuality is discouraged sharply.

According to the same article, human trafficing is on the rise as bachelors buy their brides. "Reverse dowries" could go through the roof as the girls' fathers auction them off. Mail order brides start going into Asia instead of coming out.

***

While a part of me would love to design my own offspring - I've always wanted a redhead, for example - the rational/pessimistic side of my brain is screaming about the consequences of allowing that technology for public applications. Even if I could trust myself as an individual not to abuse that responsibility, which I'm not sure I do, I don't trust us as a society not to create a similiar trend. We might skew gender rates, or increase the sexual dichotomy (only men get muscular forms, only women get slender forms), or only create children who conform to our standards of beautiful. The racial applications would be...interesting. And if homosexuality really is genetic, as some scientists have been suggesting, what effect would that have on your design sessions? As a child born into this hypothetical society, I'd be seriously freaked about how much free will I really had. How much did my parents program me and how much is random chance?

[Boozy]

The problem is only going to get worse if primarily sexist countries don't reshape their thinking. Taking China for example, MSNBC puts their numbers at 120 boys for every 100 girls, with the disparity quickly rising. When those girls grow up, do you think they will be given a choice as to their future? It will be their civic duty to marry someone. And what will the leftover men do for mates?

Classically, this kind of demographics situation breeds intense competitive attitudes leading to higher crime rates.

Men without women will find other ways to fill their time.

[DesignFox]

Classically, this kind of demographics situation breeds intense competitive attitudes leading to higher crime rates.

Men without women will find other ways to fill their time.

I shudder to think what may happen to the women if men start fighting over them.

[novicecrafter]

I am almost 99% sure I was just reading an article/essay about how there are more men then women in china. You would think logically that it would lead to women having more value but it actually had the exact opposite. What ended up happening is men SHARING wives and even RENTING THEM. Im know for a fact this does not apply to every man but many men would be perfectly happy to have the sex and the at home servent minus the kids. So I guess wife sharing could go a long way before it reaches serious hurdles. *sighs*

*race is also a huge potential "selling point" for genetic tampering. The "us vs them" mentality has been around since we were flinging poo at our neighbors from trees. It doesnt even need to be based on actual physical characteristics either I have met many rich and even middle class people who view the lower class as a "completely different animal". *sighs*

[Jadedcarguy]

Myself....I don't want any children....................

Marry me.

...............and put marraige as my last priority.

Aw crap.


I think all of this is a big gray area. On one hand, screening for disease can identify trouble early, but on the other hand what do you do if you find something that can't be fixed? HUGE gray area.

As far as selecting eye and hair color, let it ride, man. If my parents had done that with my siblings and me, we'd have some really creepy-ass "children of the corn" portraits sitting around.

My eyes are green and I have dark brown hair. My bro is a blue-eyed blond, while my sister has brown eyes and light brown hair. We're all related, you can see the resemblance, but I'm glad to look a bit different.

[Fuzzykitten99]

I never could understand parents who wished for one particular gender over the other.

So if they didn't do the genetic modification, and you don't get the gender you want, is that baby less of a person to them?

With both my pregnancies, I knew based on my husband's father's family history of producing boys, I was probably going to end up with them. And I did. I didn't really wish for either sex, just a HEALTHY baby. To me, wishing for one gender over the other, is stupid. Why not be happy with what you get?

To me, saying "We're trying for a _______ " is like saying to the other kids that they weren't REALLY what the parents wanted.