AMotherinDelhisuccumbstoherdespair16080523張鳳飛Teachingobjectives:Bytheendofthelesson,studentsshouldbebetterableto:1.understandwhatsonpreferenceis2.understandthedifferencereasonforsonpreferenceinChinaandIndia3.trytocomparesomeotherthingsIfyoucouldchoosetohaveasonoradaughter,whichonewouldyouchoose?SonPreferenceSonpreferencereferstoanattitudefoundedonthebeliefthatgirls

areinadequateandoflesservaluethanboys.

ChinaIndiaDoyouknowthereasonforsonpreferenceinChina?[Patriarchy]父系社會Awomanwastobesubordinatetoherfatherinyouth,herhusbandinmaturity,andhersoninoldage.

ThreesubordinationBanZhaowrotetheLessonsforWomen,adviceonhowwomenshouldbehave.Sheoutlinesthefourvirtueswomenmustabideby:propervirtue,properspeech,propercountenance,propermerit.Traditionally,thebloodlinepassesthroughthemaleside.Womenalso"marryout",joiningtheirhusband'sfamiliesandlookingaftertheirin-laws,nottheirownparents.Foralongtime,asonwasyourpension.Havingagirlwaswasteful.DoyoukonwthemainreasonforsonpreferenceinIndia?Let'sfindtheanswerinthenews.Aterriblecrimehappenedhere!Trueorfalse?1.ThecrimehappenedinthesouthDelhi,India.2.Awomanstrangledherdaughters.3.Thewomandidn'twantadaughteratall.IntheafternoonconfusionofsouthDelhi,itseems,nobodytooknoticeofthewraithlikewomanstrugglinguphilltotheplacelocalpeoplecall"theforest,"oneyoungdaughterheldinthecrookofeacharmandathird,alittlegirlinpigtails,scramblingalongbehind.Whenshegottotheplaceshewaslookingfor--atrash-strewnindentationintheearth--shestrangledallthreeofthemandlaidthemonthegroundinarow,the8-month-oldtuckedbetweenhertwosisters,ages3and7.Thenthewomantoreastripoffabricfromhersariandfashionedanoose.Sheattemptedtohangherselfbutonlysucceededinlosingconsciousness.ThestoryofRadhaDevifiguredinthenewspapersforafewdayslastweek,anotherofthedomestichorrorsthatmakeupthiscity'scrimeblotter.Therewascursorydiscussionofwhatitmeant:Neighborssaidshewasmortifiedthatshehadnotgivenbirthtoason,whichhavetraditionallybeenprizedabovedaughtersinIndia,inpartbecausegirls'parentsmustprovideadowry,whereasboysareseenasfutureearners.

Butitwasimpossibletopointtoonecause.Shehadbeenunderpsychiatrictreatment,somethingherhusband,RajuSingh--aslight,wilted-lookingtailor--struggledtomanageinthehoursbeforeandafterhisshift.Educatedthroughthefifthgradeandmarriedat13,Ms.DevibecamepartofthegreattidewashingfromIndia'svillagesintoitscities,tryingtocatchsomeliftoutofpoverty.Mostofthesepeoplestruggletosurvive.Somegetlostaltogether.Ms.Deviwantedaboy,saidthelandlady,VijayLakshmi,andsheslidintoadarkerplaceafterthebirthofafourthdaughter.Thefamilyincludeda10-year-old,aswellasthethreegirlswhodied.Sheusedtogooutandtellpeople,"Takemydaughters,takemygirls,"Ms.Lakshmisaid.Mr.Singh,32,saidhehadneverpressuredhiswifeforaboy.Hesaidshehaddisappearedintoacatatonicsilencesoprofoundthathewouldbrushherteethforherasshelayinbed.Hetookhertoapsychiatrist,whoprescribedanantidepressantandananticonvulsant,clonazepam,whichissometimesgivenforpanicdisorders.Whenhereturnedfromwork,hesaid,girlswouldtellhimaboutmother'sfrighteningspeeches.Trueorfalse?1.ThecrimehappenedinthesouthDelhi,India.2.Awomanstrangledherdaughters.3.Thewomandidn'twantadaughteratall.Answerfollowingquestions:1.Whatwasthereasonforthewomankillingherdaughters?2.Didherhusbandpressureherforaboy?Becausegirls'parentsmustprovideadowry,whereasboysareseenasfutureearners.No,heneverpressuredherforaboy.DoyoukonwthemainreasonforsonpreferenceinIndia?Thebride'sfamilygivesthegroom'sfamilymoneyand/orgifts.Thebridegroom'sdemandforadowrycaneasilyexceedtheannualsalaryofatypicalIndianfamily,andconsequentlybeeconomicallydisastrousespeciallyinfamilieswithmorethantwodaughters.

【DowryTradition】嫁妝習(xí)俗SonpreferenceinChinaandIndiaChinaIndiaReasons*bloodline*Patriachy*DrowytraditionWearenoturgingsomeonetohaveboysandgiveupgirls.Theyareequallyimportantandwehavetocherishthem.HomeworkWriteashortparagraphtocomparesonpreferenceinChinaandIndia.Raisingadaughterislikewateringtheneighbor'sgarden.

--oldAsiansaying