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

~ (Author), Andrea M. den Boer (Author) "Biologists, sociologists, and anthropologists have long assumed that scarcity, whether natural or man-made, is the chief catalyst for both social competition and social conflict..." (more)
Key Phrases: offspring sex selection, birth gender ratio, exaggerated gender inequality, New York, South Korea, United Nations (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

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

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

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

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

"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

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

Product Description

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.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 339 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262083256
• ISBN-13: 978-0262083256
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,175,175 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Stan A. Taylor - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Nora Dedrick (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

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.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	A. Moore "lovesbooks" (phoenix) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.