Bare Branches: The Security Implications of Asia's Surplus Male Population (Belfer Center Studies in International Security) [Hardcover]

Valerie M. Hudson (Author), Andrea M. den Boer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 7, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0262083256 | ISBN-13: 978-0262083256

What happens to a society that has too many men? In this provocative book, Valerie Hudson and Andrea den Boer argue that, historically, high male-to-female ratios often trigger domestic and international violence. Most violent crime is committed by young unmarried males who lack stable social bonds. Although there is not always a direct cause-and-effect relationship, these surplus men often play a crucial role in making violence prevalent within society. Governments sometimes respond to this problem by enlisting young surplus males in military campaigns and high-risk public works projects. Countries with high male-to-female ratios also tend to develop authoritarian political systems.Hudson and den Boer suggest that the sex ratios of many Asian countries, particularly China and India -- which represent almost 40 percent of the world's population -- are being skewed in favor of males on a scale that may be unprecedented in human history. Through offspring sex selection (often in the form of sex-selective abortion and female infanticide), these countries are acquiring a disproportionate number of low-status young adult males, called "bare branches" by the Chinese.Hudson and den Boer argue that this surplus male population in Asia's largest countries threatens domestic stability and international security. The prospects for peace and democracy are dimmed by the growth of bare branches in China and India, and, they maintain, the sex ratios of these countries will have global implications in the twenty-first century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...[A] well-documented study..." Susan H. Greenberg MSNBC

"...an impressive and comprehensive account of sex ratios..." James Q. Wilson The Wall Street Journal

"...Bare Branches has become a flashpoint for a debate about the link between sex ratios and security." Felicia R. Lee New York Times

"...connects the dots of a huge demographic trend that carries international implications." The Christian Science Monitor

"Exciting, innovative, refreshing...marks an important contribution at the nexus of the already burgeoning literatures addressingenvironmental and human security." Brendan Taylor Survival

" Bare Branches is a tour de force. It represents a groundbreaking contribution to the literature on gender and security studies. Hudson and den Boer call attention to the ticking time bomb of sex ratio imbalances, especially in East and South Asia, and its impact on the likelihood of domestic instability and inter-state war. All who address these issues in the future will need to contend seriously with the persuasive arguments made in this book." Rose McDermott, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of California, Santa Barbara

" Bare Branches is an excellent book that represents a new approach to thinking about political stability and international politics. Hudson and den Boer draw from the life sciences to reveal historical patterns that other scholars have missed. They present comprehensive data on sex ratios and fascinating historical studies of social instability brought on by excess young males." Francis Fukuyama, Dean of Faculty and Bernard Schwartz Professor of International Political Economy, The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

" Bare Branches reveals a largely overlooked but important variable correlated with war and peace: high ratios of males to females. Through both historical and contemporary analyses, Hudson and den Boer show that in societies where women have low status, peaceful democracies are far less likely to take hold. All those who hope to understand the causes of war—in academe as well as in government—will have to be aware of these findings. A brilliant contribution to the literature on contemporary world affairs." Jessica Stern, Lecturer in Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

"*Bare Branches* is a tour de force. It represents a groundbreaking contribution to the literature on gender and security studies. Hudson and den Boer call attention to the ticking time bomb of sex ratio imbalances, especially in East and South Asia, and its impact on the likelihood of domestic instability and inter-state war. All who address these issues in the future will need to contend seriously with the persuasive arguments made in this book."--Rose McDermott, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of California, Santa Barbara

"*Bare Branches* reveals a largely overlooked but important variable correlated with war and peace: high ratios of males to females. Through both historical and contemporary analyses, Hudson and den Boer show that in societies where women have low status, peaceful democracies are far less likely to take hold. All those who hope to understand the causes of war -- in academe as well as in government -- will have to be aware of these findings. A brilliant contribution to the literature on contemporary world affairs."--Jessica Stern, Lecturer in Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

About the Author

Valerie M. Hudson is Professor of Political Science and faculty affiliate at the David M. Kennedy School for International and Area Studies at Brigham Young University. She is the author of the books Culture and Foreign Policy and Artificial Intelligence and International Politics and coeditor of The Limits of State Autonomy: Societal Groups and Foreign Policy Formulation and Political Psychology and Foreign Policy.

Andrea M. den Boer is a a Research Fellow in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent at Canterbury.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (May 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262083256
• ISBN-13: 978-0262083256
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,499,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Valerie M. Hudson is professor of political science at Brigham Young University, having previously taught at Northwestern and Rutgers universities. Her research foci include foreign policy analysis, security studies, gender and international relations, and methodology. Hudson's articles have appeared in such journals as International Security, Journal of Peace Research, Political Psychology, and Foreign Policy Analysis. She is the author or editor of several books, including (with Andrea Den Boer) Bare Branches: The Security Implications of Asia's Surplus Male Population (MIT Press, 2004), which won the American Association of Publishers Award for the Best Book in Political Science, and the Otis Dudley Duncan Award for Best Book in Social Demography, resulting in feature stories in the New York Times, The Economist, 60 Minutes, and other news publications. Hudson was recently named to the list of Foreign Policy magazine's Top 100 Global Thinkers for 2009. Winner of numerous teaching awards and recipient of a National Science Foundation research grant, she served as the director of graduate studies for the David M. Kennedy Center for International and Area Studies for eight years, and as Vice President of the International Studies Association 2011-2012. Hudson is one of the Principal Investigators of the WomanStats Project, which includes the largest compilation of data on the status of women in the world today. She is also a founding editor of SquareTwo, a founding editorial board member of Foreign Policy Analysis, an editorial board member of Politics and Gender and the International Studies Review, and she and her husband David are the parents of eight children.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Significant Contribution to Security Literature July 6, 2004

By Stan A. Taylor

Format:Hardcover

This recent MIT Press book makes a significant contribution to national security literature and, at the same time, takes it in a new and exciting direction. Order-of-battle analysts would do well to add sex-ratios to the list of variables on which they collect information. Not every reader will be convinced by the argument of this book, but most will find it stimulating, thought-provoking, and very well-written. I hope it escapes the classification as solely a gender studies book. It is much more than that and deserves the attention of scholars, foreign policy experts, and national-security gurus.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating topic, thorough research June 25, 2004

By Nora Dedrick

Format:Hardcover

After reading the article about this book in the Chronicle of Higher Education, I purchased it out of pure curiosity, admittedly prepared to reject the idea that the surplus male population in Asia could pose a threat to international security. However, I was astounded by the authors' very convincing and thorougly researched findings, which highlighted what I never imagined was such a strong linkage between international security and gender selection in Asia. Not exactly "beach reading," but most definitely suitable for university teaching and a good read for anyone interested in gender selection or security issues.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars COMING CONSEQUENCES OF FEMALE INFANTICIDE January 26, 2005

By A. Moore

Format:Hardcover

Female infanticide is hardly new. The authors note that of 600 families in ancient Delphi only 1 percent raised more than one daughter. But what are the consequences? Violent, criminal men and a lowered status for women have been the historical consequences. Wars are another. This is not good news considering the high rate of female infanticide in China and India. Interesting book, lots of historical facts to back up the theories.