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Belfer Center Studies in International Security
Bare Branches: The Security Implications of Asia's Surplus Male Population
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.
344 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
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397 people want to read
About the author
Valerie M. Hudson
25 books71 followersValerie M. Hudson (born 1958) is a professor of political science at The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University as of January 2012. Prior to coming to Texas A&M, Hudson was a professor of political science at Brigham Young University for 24 years. She is most noted for having co-authored the book Bare Branches about the negative effects of China's overabundance of males.
Hudson was born in Washington, D.C.. She joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in 1971. Prior to that she had been a Roman Catholic. Hudson received her bachelor's degree from BYU and her master's and Ph.D. from Ohio State University.
While a doctoral candidate, Hudson taught for three years at Otterbein University, and after receiving her Ph.D., was a visiting professor at Northwestern University and then Rutgers University . In 1987 she joined the faculty of BYU. Hudson served as Associate Director of the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies for eight years, in which capacity she directed the graduate program.
(from Wikipedia)
Hudson was born in Washington, D.C.. She joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in 1971. Prior to that she had been a Roman Catholic. Hudson received her bachelor's degree from BYU and her master's and Ph.D. from Ohio State University.
While a doctoral candidate, Hudson taught for three years at Otterbein University, and after receiving her Ph.D., was a visiting professor at Northwestern University and then Rutgers University . In 1987 she joined the faculty of BYU. Hudson served as Associate Director of the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies for eight years, in which capacity she directed the graduate program.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 19, 2015
This book makes a straightforward argument, somewhat ponderously assembling the conclusions from lots of demographic studies: historically, active or passive killing of newborn girls is common across many, many cultures; and in both India and China today, sex selective abortions and infanticide are generating a significant mismatch in the number of men and women. The authors estimate that by 2020, both countries will have roughly 30 million extra men between the ages of 15 and 34. That's significant, because across cultures, men in that age range who have no prospect of finding mates are far more likely (than other men or women) to commit crimes, cause social unrest, and prompt aggressive national policies. Borrowing (in translation) a Chinese term, the authors call these men 'bare branches', and note that they are likely to include the lowest-status men in each society.
The authors make a compelling case that while anti-women attitudes created this imbalance, it is not self-correcting; even as the imbalance makes higher-status women rare prizes, social and economic conditions for women are likely to worsen. The authors offer some policy solutions, but none work quickly, and none are likely directly to ease the tensions the authors believe India and China will face in the near decades. For the long term, their clear recommendation is for India, China, and other nations to adopt policies that educate and empower women, break down gender discrimination, and help parents value daughters as much as sons.
This book is now a decade old, but as best as I can tell, remains the main source on this topic, and is still a frequently-cited analysis.
The authors make a compelling case that while anti-women attitudes created this imbalance, it is not self-correcting; even as the imbalance makes higher-status women rare prizes, social and economic conditions for women are likely to worsen. The authors offer some policy solutions, but none work quickly, and none are likely directly to ease the tensions the authors believe India and China will face in the near decades. For the long term, their clear recommendation is for India, China, and other nations to adopt policies that educate and empower women, break down gender discrimination, and help parents value daughters as much as sons.
This book is now a decade old, but as best as I can tell, remains the main source on this topic, and is still a frequently-cited analysis.
June 13, 2015
Well argued and thoroughly researched. I was blown away by the sheer number of female related killings, abortions or otherwise, that have taken place in these countries and continue into today. It made me feel strange to be a member of such an unwanted and devalued gender in this world, but at the same time, the authors' scholarship provided insights on how the gendered power structures in these cultures created situations where killing female infants actually could be the best option. The authors also present compelling evidence that those same power structures undermine themselves by creating surplus populations of just the type of males that present the most threat to a stable society. The argument took on extra strength as I read it in China and looked up at one point and noticed that everyone surrounding me was an Asian male.
February 26, 2012
This book is beautifully researched and horribly accurate concerning the situation in China and India of birthrate disparity. I read this book while working abroad in China and the issue of birthrates is not a fantasy. The text is very accessible and the subject a serious one. I highly recommend this book to those who want to understand our world today.
December 31, 2011
This book was phenomenal. I read it for a paper I was writing for a class, but the reason I picked it in the first place was that I remembered reading an excerpt of this book five or six years ago in college.
The title is pretty self explanatory, this is about the sex-imbalance in Asia. "Bare Branches" is the translation of a Chinese term for bachelors (which also is slang for hoodlum/gangster) - these are the young men who will never marry, never have families, and who will thus never really be full adult members of the community.
The problem is that much of Asia (and some other parts of the world, but the book focuses on China and India) have a marked preference for sons over daughters. In the past, sex-selection of infants mostly manifested as infanticide, today, it's more commonly seen in sex-selective abortions, made easy by modern technology. The upshot of the preference for boys (and the book gives an impressively thorough review of the history and methodology of son-preference in both China and India) has resulted in a an extremely lopsided gender demographic. For a number of (mostly biological) reasons, the natural sex-ratio at birth is about 106 males to every 100 females. Over time, this ratio evens out - in the normal course of things, women tend to live longer than men. But in much of Asia, there's a serious surplus of men, estimates go as high as 161 million more men than women.
These are men who will not be able to find wives or start families - without a family or some other stake in society, single men are potentially extremely dangerous.
In the past, the options for dealing with an excess population of unattached young men (with no hope of marriage or family in a hetero-normative society) were:
1. Monastic orders
2. Absorbing them into the military (and sending them out to conquer new territories/fight off enemies)
3. Killing them when the formed roving gangs of bandits and/or revolutionary armies that threatened the State.
It's an interesting read, the history and painstaking research that went into compiling this work made the academic in me drool and it's written in a way that's generally accessible and engaging.
I highly recommend it.
The title is pretty self explanatory, this is about the sex-imbalance in Asia. "Bare Branches" is the translation of a Chinese term for bachelors (which also is slang for hoodlum/gangster) - these are the young men who will never marry, never have families, and who will thus never really be full adult members of the community.
The problem is that much of Asia (and some other parts of the world, but the book focuses on China and India) have a marked preference for sons over daughters. In the past, sex-selection of infants mostly manifested as infanticide, today, it's more commonly seen in sex-selective abortions, made easy by modern technology. The upshot of the preference for boys (and the book gives an impressively thorough review of the history and methodology of son-preference in both China and India) has resulted in a an extremely lopsided gender demographic. For a number of (mostly biological) reasons, the natural sex-ratio at birth is about 106 males to every 100 females. Over time, this ratio evens out - in the normal course of things, women tend to live longer than men. But in much of Asia, there's a serious surplus of men, estimates go as high as 161 million more men than women.
These are men who will not be able to find wives or start families - without a family or some other stake in society, single men are potentially extremely dangerous.
In the past, the options for dealing with an excess population of unattached young men (with no hope of marriage or family in a hetero-normative society) were:
1. Monastic orders
2. Absorbing them into the military (and sending them out to conquer new territories/fight off enemies)
3. Killing them when the formed roving gangs of bandits and/or revolutionary armies that threatened the State.
It's an interesting read, the history and painstaking research that went into compiling this work made the academic in me drool and it's written in a way that's generally accessible and engaging.
I highly recommend it.
Read
August 9, 2020I write this knowing full well that I am completely biased in my “review”. I work for Dr. Hudson and am a team member on the WomanStats Project (www.womanstats.org). The project was directly inspired by this book and seeks to provide both qualitative and quantitative data that demonstrates the linkage between the status of women and national security. Having worked on the project for over a year before reading this book, it was a nice refresher on why this work is important. The scope of the project has grown well beyond the limits of simply skewed sex ratios and the database includes over 300 variables related to how women are perceived and treated within 170+ countries around the world.
This theory (that there is indeed a connection between the status/treatment of women and national security) is vitally important and too often overlooked, ignored, or flat out rejected. The research is well-done and the evidence is there. It is time for more policy makers and world leaders to be paying attention and taking this seriously! 🙌🏻
This theory (that there is indeed a connection between the status/treatment of women and national security) is vitally important and too often overlooked, ignored, or flat out rejected. The research is well-done and the evidence is there. It is time for more policy makers and world leaders to be paying attention and taking this seriously! 🙌🏻
May 1, 2025
I, I, I finally finished it! Done! No more! That's all, folks!
This volume looks deceptively small on the outside, but inside, it's a 329-p long textbook about the security implications when there are so many more men than women in China and India (and to a lesser extent several other territories around the world such as Hong Kong and Pakistan - which I accept are separate and deserve their own recognition).
I looked through it. Are these men attacking these women? No, I decided, not really. I mean, perhaps; how else is the rate of infant mortality so high? But what is happening behind closed doors isn't actually detailed, as far as I could tell.
Maybe something else is the culprit, like malnutrition, bad water, or simple bad luck.
Originally, I borrowed this book from the library, but then the book was taking me too long to finish off, so I ordered a copy of it to finish in my own limited free time. Then a second copy came a few weeks later, but fortunately, the two were hardcover and paperback, so I had received different editions - and as far as I could tell, I hadn't been charged for the double.
Perhaps it was a gift from the publisher. I do like this book so much, after all, and I had given them a mailing address to offer me another one, ergo, logically...
I continue to think very highly of this, even, perhaps, the highest. I think you might find something of merit from it, too, even twenty years after its original publication date, as - after all, there is still a dramatically lesser amount of women than men in China and India even to this day, and you might draw something useful from the implications of there being such a drastic drop in human population today. You ought to check this out from the library, at the very least! I thought this kind of thing was more interesting than any of the other blah-de-blah from the coursework, to be honest, although all of the other stuff is extremely good to know, too, if you want to do well in all your courses and be a filial child like your parents had been before you and their parents before them since, you know, that whole script from that one kungfu movie.
I mean - Indians and Chinese are the same species as Europeans and Africans, right? And also all the islander people, too, right? So this matter must affect everybody equally.
Therefore, I thought this was worth a look - baffling graphs, figures and all.
This volume looks deceptively small on the outside, but inside, it's a 329-p long textbook about the security implications when there are so many more men than women in China and India (and to a lesser extent several other territories around the world such as Hong Kong and Pakistan - which I accept are separate and deserve their own recognition).
I looked through it. Are these men attacking these women? No, I decided, not really. I mean, perhaps; how else is the rate of infant mortality so high? But what is happening behind closed doors isn't actually detailed, as far as I could tell.
Maybe something else is the culprit, like malnutrition, bad water, or simple bad luck.
Originally, I borrowed this book from the library, but then the book was taking me too long to finish off, so I ordered a copy of it to finish in my own limited free time. Then a second copy came a few weeks later, but fortunately, the two were hardcover and paperback, so I had received different editions - and as far as I could tell, I hadn't been charged for the double.
Perhaps it was a gift from the publisher. I do like this book so much, after all, and I had given them a mailing address to offer me another one, ergo, logically...
I continue to think very highly of this, even, perhaps, the highest. I think you might find something of merit from it, too, even twenty years after its original publication date, as - after all, there is still a dramatically lesser amount of women than men in China and India even to this day, and you might draw something useful from the implications of there being such a drastic drop in human population today. You ought to check this out from the library, at the very least! I thought this kind of thing was more interesting than any of the other blah-de-blah from the coursework, to be honest, although all of the other stuff is extremely good to know, too, if you want to do well in all your courses and be a filial child like your parents had been before you and their parents before them since, you know, that whole script from that one kungfu movie.
I mean - Indians and Chinese are the same species as Europeans and Africans, right? And also all the islander people, too, right? So this matter must affect everybody equally.
Therefore, I thought this was worth a look - baffling graphs, figures and all.
June 16, 2020
My biggest complaint with this book is how little it addresses the question it asks in its subtitle. Hudson and den Boer spend the first half the book chronicling the lopsided sex-ratios of the population of India and China as a result of the extreme pursuit of sons over daughters. While their desire to describe, in great detail, the history and magnitude of female infanticide in all the regions of both of these countries is commendable, the length of time spent simply proving that female infanticide and sex-selective abortions are occurring seemed undue. Even at the time of publication, 2004, these practices were well known. While a short section outlining its magnitude would have been welcomed, the book seemed stuck in simply trying to convince the reader this was happening. Likewise, the second half of the book seems to want to answer the security implications of these lopsided ratios purely in terms of historical analogies. The authors detailed the impact of imbalanced sex-ratios in the major rebellions in both India and China in the 19th century and end the book with an ominous speculation for what this bodes for both of these countries. While this book explains really well the historical and sociological reasons that push son-preference into daughter-murdering extremes, the potential fallout of imbalanced sex-ratios is left vaguely outlined through historical comparisons.
Read
September 8, 2023I really admired what I read of Valerie Hudson in Every Needful Thing. My neighbor is rather impressed with her (He knows her fairly well professionally). And, as my own odd brand of feminist*, I thought this would be a valuable study to read.
Perhaps it's timing. Perhaps it's my own postpartum hormones(though I should be over that by now). But I'm just not ready to read this with any degree of impartiality. And I really strive for that when I read nonfiction.
So.
Hopefully I will return.
Her first chapter (aka the roadmap) was interesting.
Side note: my husband has several coworkers from India. We were told that it's illegal to be told the sex via ultrasound there. It's more common than I'd like, knowing that and the premise of this book, for women in my online mommy groups to post pictures asking for other moms to tell them what the sex is.
*will have to go searching for the official glossary on feminist types. I should know this. I wrote my thesis on nineteenth-century feminism, for goodness's sake.
Perhaps it's timing. Perhaps it's my own postpartum hormones(though I should be over that by now). But I'm just not ready to read this with any degree of impartiality. And I really strive for that when I read nonfiction.
So.
Hopefully I will return.
Her first chapter (aka the roadmap) was interesting.
Side note: my husband has several coworkers from India. We were told that it's illegal to be told the sex via ultrasound there. It's more common than I'd like, knowing that and the premise of this book, for women in my online mommy groups to post pictures asking for other moms to tell them what the sex is.
*will have to go searching for the official glossary on feminist types. I should know this. I wrote my thesis on nineteenth-century feminism, for goodness's sake.
December 10, 2019
We knew there are big problems with Asian's women discrimination, but 41 Millions women disappeared in China since 2000 sounds just like planed, mass murder.
The fact proved that women treat their parents much better than sons, because sons need to serve the wife's family. This phenomena is basically 98% in Taiwan.
I also learned about after all, women became mother were treated like baby machine, not a human (in some places still same), that is no wonder why they don't feel sad to kill female babies. I was also a almost victim in such system, almost named as "brother come" to hope for no girl anymore.
Luckily my family treat me well and i received the best education i could thanks to them.
The fact proved that women treat their parents much better than sons, because sons need to serve the wife's family. This phenomena is basically 98% in Taiwan.
I also learned about after all, women became mother were treated like baby machine, not a human (in some places still same), that is no wonder why they don't feel sad to kill female babies. I was also a almost victim in such system, almost named as "brother come" to hope for no girl anymore.
Luckily my family treat me well and i received the best education i could thanks to them.
January 15, 2020
Good insight of the skewed gender ratio in Asia and the fundamental impact in world situation.
What surprised me is that higher education of women has different impact in China and India: Educated women in China tends to support their daughter, but educated women in India has higher abortion rate.
What surprised me is that higher education of women has different impact in China and India: Educated women in China tends to support their daughter, but educated women in India has higher abortion rate.
Want to read
June 12, 2025作为中文版本的对照补充。不确定简中版本是否存在删减。
April 30, 2008
This is an analysis of gender ratios in India and China. India and China have skewed gender ratios. There are significantly more boys than girls, more men than women. The authors note that male babies are generally weaker than female babies in most places, but the situation is reversed in India and China. Girl babies are not as likely to survive. In India, gender ratios vary by region—in the north, gender ratios are extremely skewed, while in the southern state of Kerala, the gender ratios are balanced. The authors look at the historical roots and causes of these imbalances. They also emphasize the security implications of having a bunch of 17-35 year-old, single men roaming around the country.
February 25, 2016
I expected this to only talk about China, but it also described the opposite problem which exists in India. I think those two should get together and switch their excess male/female population.
Interesting Anthropological commentary on the historical casuals that might have led to such a situation and the potential existing policies that may effect change.
-----------------------------
I originally gave this a 3, but then started traveling to Muslim countries such as Turkey. I think this one is worth dusting off and am looking forward to seeing if the author has done more work to incorporate economic and cultural aspects in a methodological way as the disparities become more evident in other regions.
Interesting Anthropological commentary on the historical casuals that might have led to such a situation and the potential existing policies that may effect change.
-----------------------------
I originally gave this a 3, but then started traveling to Muslim countries such as Turkey. I think this one is worth dusting off and am looking forward to seeing if the author has done more work to incorporate economic and cultural aspects in a methodological way as the disparities become more evident in other regions.
March 20, 2012
The content of this book, infanticide, is important but hard to like because of the sadness it is about: killing babies. Girl babies, and lots of them. I was unaware of how common and for how long parents in male-child-preferring countries have either killed or failed to care for their daughters. And for the adults of such societies, both male and female, life can be pretty ugly. I am blessed to live in my place and time.
The book is an academic read and thoroughly cited throughout. For any who choose it for the title, security implications are not addressed until chapter 5, well over half way into the book.
The book is an academic read and thoroughly cited throughout. For any who choose it for the title, security implications are not addressed until chapter 5, well over half way into the book.
March 8, 2010
Ok so, this not light reading - though it is fascinating! The appeal of this book for me is that it raises such troubling questions about societies that function on a model of valuing men over women. There is historical precedent for such societies and it is dangerous. Valerie Hudson deftly teases out the profound points to ponder from a shipload of statistics. It's interesting to me that so much effort has been put toward the statistical acquisitions and so little effort directed to thinking about and publishing the implications - until now with Bare Branches.
January 23, 2008
This is a depressing read with grim implications for the future. Bare Branches argues that cultures with more men than women are violent and dangerous places, vulnerable to takeover by dictators who promise security and peace--and that modern sex-selection techniques have resulted in a significant deficit of women around the world. Too many charts and graphs for casual reading, but an eye-opener.
November 6, 2008
I like this kind of read, but most probably wouldn't. Anthropological study done to project the problems that China is beginning to face and will continue to have to deal with over the coming years--all because people have been aborting their baby girls or placing them up for adoption, believing them to be the weaker and less desirable sex. Surplus male population = many, many problems!
January 25, 2016
This is a very well researched book that is a real eye opener on the extent of male birth preferences, not only in contemporary China and India, but also historically in cultures throughout the world. It raises some interesting, and disturbing, societal impacts that occur when there are large numbers of surplus males with little or no prospect of having a wife and family.
October 1, 2013
Did you know there are 100 million missing women right now in the world? Mostly from India and China. This is a scholarly book and hard to read hence the 3 stars but very informative and worth the reading. It was very interesting to me.
October 19, 2012
An incredibly well-researched book on the sex-imbalance in Asia and the very real national and safety consequences of years of killing female infants. Mainly discusses China and India.
April 5, 2013
Very academic look at the potential security implications of sex selection particularly in India and China.
June 20, 2014
Interesting to read a more thorough look at Asia's male surplus population, adn the reasons behind it, more than just female infanticide and people wanting boys, but WHY?!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews