Parental investment in Tibetan populations does not reflect stated cultural norms.

ABSTRACT: In this paper, we examined both stated norms of sex preference and actual sex-biases in parental investment in a Tibetan pastoralist society. We collected detailed demographic data on infant mortality, infant feeding, the length of interbirth intervals, and a decision when giving gifts, to examine sex-biased parental investment. Our results indicate a mismatch between self-reported son preference and measures of actual parental investment that favor daughters. We interpret this female-biased parental investment as a possible response to daughters generating more economic resources. However, the stated sex preferences of both sexes reflect cultural norms that appear to have remained unchanged over a long period, which may reflect the importance of male roles in the past. Our behavioral meas

SUBMITTER: Du J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5873243 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan-Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature