In a monogamous culture, 100% of the adults are married. The

Question

In a monogamous culture, 100% of the adults are married. The average number of children per family is five and over-population is a threat. Programs to encourage birth-control have been ineffective. It has been suggested that this failure is due to these programs ignoring a tradition that values male children very highly, so that every parent wants to have at least one son. It is proposed that couples be encouraged to use birth-control measures after the birth of their first son. 

If this proposal is widely accepted in the culture, we may expect that:

A) the rate of population increase will be slowed, and future generations will contain a disproportionately high number of females.

B) the rate of population increase will be slowed, and the gender balance in future generations will remain as it is at present.

C) the rate of population growth will remain the same, and future generations will contain a disproportionately high number of females.

D) there will be no significant effect either on population growth or on gender balance.

E) the population will decline precipitously, because approximately half of all families will have only a single child.

please explain

ps_dahiya · Answer

B

Cerianly the population growth will slow down but gender balance will not be affected.

Lets have it quant way. Prob of a boy or a girl is equal. Lets take 8 couples and 4 of them got first boy and 4 got 1st girl. Out of those 4 who got first girl, 2 got second a boy and 2 second a girl and so on.

1st Couple----B--STOP
2nd Couple----B--STOP
3rd Couple----B--STOP
4th Couple----B--STOP
5th Coople---GB-STOP
6th Coople---GB-STOP
7th Coople---GGB-STOP
8th Coople---GGGB-STOP
and so on.......

For whatever number of families there will be just 1 boy more than girls.

ps_dahiya · Answer

No way A could be right. I am pretty sure about this.

MA · Answer

you seem correct. i found the thread: https://www.gmatclub.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... b486070180

ps_dahiya · Answer

Thanks for the link. Even the example given is also almost same :lol:

shoonya · Answer

population will decrease for sure. so either B or E is right. 

E is too extreme. So, I choose B.

zoom612 · Answer

I'll go with B.
Increase in population will be slowed because people will take birth control measures after they have their first male child.Initially having the first male child did not deter them having more children.

Gauss · Answer

In a monogamous culture, 100% of the adults are married. The average number of children per family is five and over-population is a threat. Programs to encourage birth-control have been ineffective. It has been suggested that this failure is due to these programs ignoring a tradition that values male children very highly, so that every parent wants to have at least one son. It is proposed that couples be encouraged to use birth-control measures after the birth of their first son. 

If this proposal is widely accepted in the culture, we may expect that:

A) the rate of population increase will be slowed, and future generations will contain a disproportionately high number of females.  right the first part of answear not deductable second implication... 

B) the rate of population increase will be slowed, and the gender balance in future generations will remain as it is at present.  is the winner clearly sum up all the argumentation 

C) the rate of population growth will remain the same, and future generations will contain a disproportionately high number of females.  why that, there is no reference about females the issue address males but should affect both 

D) there will be no significant effect either on population growth or on gender balance.  no if the births are under control the pop growth decrease
 
E) the population will decline precipitously, because approximately half of all families will have only a single child . to drastic and why only half of the families and not all the falmilies considering that is a measure that will affect all....