Son

For other uses, see Son (disambiguation).

A son is a male offspring; a boy, man, or male animal in relation to his parents. The female equivalent is a daughter.

In many pre-industrial societies and some current countries with agriculture-based economies, a higher value was, and still is, assigned to sons rather than daughters, giving males higher social status, because males were physically stronger, on average, and could perform farming tasks more effectively.

In China, a One-child Policy is in effect in order to address rapid population growth. Official birth records have shown a rise in the level of male births since the policy was brought into law. This has been attributed to a number of factors, including the illegal practice of sex-selective abortion and widespread under-reporting of female births.

In the vernacular English of the United States, the term is sometimes used (1) by older men addressing younger men, implying the speaker's seniority; and (2) as one of endearment between young Black males and others who imitate hip hop culture, mainly in urban and inner city.

Among Trinitarian Christians, "The Son" refers to Jesus Christ. In literature, the sun is sometimes used symbolically to mean and the son, as in Christ.

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