ABSTRACT
Even if there is some mechanism causing a female-biased sex ratio at birth, Mukogodo parents and other caregivers may also be biasing their investment in children after birth in favor of girls. There are a number of different ways to get indications of parental investment patterns. In the case of Mukogodo daughter favoritism, the possibility exists that mothers and other caregivers are learning from each other, perhaps in subtle, nonverbal ways, to favor girls. Mukogodo daughter favoritism has received more attention and sparked more discussion than any other aspect of research in the Mukogodo area. The offspring sex preferences of Mukogodo parents would appear at first glance to be a reflection of cultural beliefs about parenting and the values of boys and girls. And it may be the case that these stated values really do have an impact on Mukogodo parenting, reducing what would otherwise be an even stronger bias in favor of daughters in caregiver behavior.
