A Statistical Analysis of Son Preference ‎among ScheduledTribe and Non-Scheduled ‎Tribe Groups in KokrajharDistrict of ‎Assam, India

  • Authors

    • Ashok Kumar Saha Research Scholar, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Bodoland University, 783370, Assam, ‎India
    • Dimacha Dwibrang Muchahary Registrar, Kokrajhar University, Kokrajhar, 783370, Assam, India
    https://doi.org/10.14419/4b94kh21

    Received date: December 15, 2025

    Accepted date: January 22, 2026

    Published date: January 31, 2026

  • Chi-Square; Logistic Regression; Scheduled Tribe; Socio-Economic; Son Preference
  • Abstract

    This study examines the influence of different social, economic and demographic ‎factors that culminates into son preference among scheduled tribe and non- scheduled tribe found ‎in Kokrajhar district of Assam. Data were collected from a household survey of currently ‎married women of reproductive age group 15-49 years using multi-stage sampling method. ‎Cross tabulation, Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis was carried out for finding out ‎relationships between the socio-economic and demographic variables on son preference. ‎Findings show that son is important for old age security reasons among scheduled tribe people ‎and for legacy continuation in case of non- scheduled tribe. The percentage distribution of son ‎preference by selected characteristics depicts that son preference is high among the non- ‎scheduled tribe as compared to scheduled tribe. Logistic regression shows that the type of family, ‎use of Contraceptives and educational level of women play a significant role on son preference ‎among scheduled tribe and type of family, educational level of husband and religion of husband ‎has the significant affect on son preference among non- scheduled tribe. The findings of the ‎study reveal that son preference is an important indicator of fertility differentials in Kokrajhar ‎district‎.

  • References

    1. Arnold F, Kishor S & Roy, T. (2002), Sex-Selective Abortions in India, Population and development review 28(4), 759-785. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2002.00759.x.
    2. Asari GV (1994), Determinants of Contraceptive use in Kerala: The Case of Son/Daughter Preference, The Journal of Family Welfare, 40(3), p.19-25.
    3. Asghar M, Murry B, & Kallur NS (2014). Fertility Behaviour and Effect of Son Preference among the Muslims of Manipur, India, Hindawi Pub-lishing Corporation, Journal of Anthropology. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/108236.
    4. Basu D & Jong RD (2010), Son Targeting Fertility Behaviour: Some Consequences and Determinants, Demography, Volume 47, Number 2, 521-536. https://doi.org/10.1353/dem.0.0110
    5. Bhat P & Zavier A (2003), Fertility decline and gender bias in northern India, Demography, 40(4), 637 - 657. https://doi.org/10.2307/1515201.
    6. Bongaarts J (1998), Fertility and reproductive preferences in post-transitional societies, Policy Research Division, no.114, Population Council, New York. https://doi.org/10.31899/pgy6.1015
    7. Bongaarts J (2013), The Implementation of Preferences for Male Offspring. Population and Development Review, 39(2), 185-208. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2013.00588.x.
    8. Chanu NS (2016), An Econometric Analysis of the Impact of Some Socio-Economic and Demographic Variables on Fertility Behaviour: A Case Study in Manipur, India, Ph. D. Thesis, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh.
    9. Clark S (2000), Son Preference and Sex Composition of Children: Evidence from India, Demography, Volume 37-Number 1, 95–108. https://doi.org/10.2307/2648099.
    10. Cleland J, Verrall J & Aessen MV (1983), Preferences for the Sex of Children and their Influence on Reproductive Behaviour, No. 27, Internation-al Statistical Institute, Netherlands.
    11. Das N (1984), Sex Preference Pattern and Its Stability in India: 1970–80, Demography India 13(1 and 2),108-19.
    12. Das Gupta M (1987), Selective discrimination against female children in rural Punjab, India', Population and development review 13(1), 77-100. https://doi.org/10.2307/1972121
    13. Das N (1987), Sex Preference and Fertility Behaviour: A Study of Recent Indian Data, Demography, Volume 24, Number 4. https://doi.org/10.2307/2061389
    14. Fors HC & Lindskog A (2023), Son preference and education Inequalities in India: the role of gender‑biased fertility strategies and preferential treatment of boys, Journal of Population Economics, 36:1431-1460, Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00148-023-00941-5.
    15. Gray E & Evans A (2004), Parity progression in Australia: What role does sex of existing children play? Paper presented at 12th Biennial Confer-ence on population and society: issues, research, policy. Canberra, Australia.
    16. Gautam A, Singh BP & Singh KK (2019), Male Attitude towards Son Preference and its Covariates in India, Janasamkhya, Vol. XXXVI - VII
    17. Graham M, Smith C & Shield M (2015), Women’s attitudes towards children and motherhood: A predictor of future childlessness?, Journal of So-cial Inclusion, 6(2), pp. 5-18 https://doi.org/10.36251/josi81
    18. Hammarberg K. et. al. (2017), Men’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviours relating to fertility, Human Reproduction Update, Vol.23, No.4 pp. 458–480. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmx005
    19. Hank K (2007), Parental Gender Preferences and Reproductive Behaviour: A Review of the Rcent Literature, Journal of Biosocial Science, 39,759-767, Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932006001787
    20. Hoq MN (2019), Effects of Son Preference on Fertility: A parity Progression Analysis, Corvinus Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 10, pp. 27-45. https://doi.org/10.14267/CJSSP.2019.1.2
    21. Kazenin K (2023), Son preference, gender asymmetries and parity progressions: the case of Kyrgyzstan, Asian Population Studies, Vol. 19, NO. 1, 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441730.2021.1992858.
    22. Le K & Nguyen M (2022), Son preference and health disparities in developing countries, SSM - Population Health 17, 101036, ELSEVIER. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101036.
    23. Mutharayappa R, Choe MK, Arnold F & Roy TK (1997), Son Preference and Its Effect on Fertility in India, National Family Health Survey Sub-ject Reports, Number 3, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai.
    24. Nath D C & Singh HB (2012), Impact of Son Preference on Fertility Indices in Manipur, International Journal of Management, Economics and So-cial Sciences, Vol. 1(2), pp. 26 –32.
    25. Nath DC & Deka AK (2004), The importance of son in a traditional society: How elderly parents see it? Demography India, 33(1): 33-46.
    26. Pal J, Das B & Dubey A (2024), Fertility Decline and Son Preference in India, Demography India, Vol. 53, No. 2.
    27. Rai P, Paudel IS, Ghimire A, Pokharel PK, Rijal R & Niraula SR (2014), Effect of gender preference on fertility: cross-sectional study among women of Tharu community from rural area of eastern region of Nepal, Reproductive Health, http://www.reproductive-health-journal.com/content/11/1/15. https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4755-11-15.
    28. Rossier C & Bernardi L (2009), Social Interaction Effects on Fertility: Intentions and Behaviors, European Journal of Population, 25:467-485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-009-9203-0.
    29. Sarah R & Otto B (2013), Attitudes about Children and Fertility Limitation Behavior, National Institues of Health, 32(1): 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11113-012-9261-6
    30. Sharma AK. (2024), A note on application of Logistic Regression Analysis in Demography, Demography India Vol. 53, No. 1.
    31. Singh A, Upadhyay AK, Kumar K, Singh A, Johnson FA & Padmadas SS (2022), Spatial heterogeneity in son preference across India’s 640 dis-tricts: An application of small-area estimation, Demographic Research: Volume 47, Article 26. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2022.47.26.
    32. Singh BP, Maheshwari S, Madhusudan J V & Gupta P K (2015), Sex Composition of Living Children, Future Child Bearing Pattern and Contra-ceptive Behavior in Uttar Pradesh, in Janasamkhya, XXXIII, pp. 37-50.
    33. Susuman AS (2006), Son Preference and Contraceptive Practice Among Tribal Groups in Rural South India, Stud. Tribes Tribals, 4(1): 31-40. https://doi.org/10.1080/0972639X.2006.11886534.
    34. Williamson NE (1976), Sons or Daughters: a Cross Cultural Survey of Parental Preferences. Beverley Hills, California: Sage.
  • Downloads

  • How to Cite

    Kumar Saha, A., & Dwibrang Muchahary, D. (2026). A Statistical Analysis of Son Preference ‎among ScheduledTribe and Non-Scheduled ‎Tribe Groups in KokrajharDistrict of ‎Assam, India. International Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 15(1), 193-198. https://doi.org/10.14419/4b94kh21