Maria Romero
ENGL 101
Jessica Melendy
5 March 2015
Hvistendahl v. Appiah Traditions are a big part of what shapes one’s ideas. Mara Hvistendahl explains in, ‘Missing: 163 Million Women’ that traditions have caused in a decrease in the amount of children that are born each year in girls, while the boy population grows. Kwame Anthony Appiah explains in, ‘Making Conversation’ and ‘The Primacy of Practice’, that through conversing and accepting others even though they may not agree with the traditions or norms of others, and there will be peace in the world. Appiah’s response to Hvistendahl’s article is to inform the public about how traditions will cause an extinction in women and ultimately, the entire human race will be wiped out from the face of the Earth. In order to let them know, we cannot tell them what to do because we will be telling them that their traditions are wrong and we are right. Mara Hvistendahl explains in her article that due to affordable medical tech, ultrasound, allows the women in Asia to find out whether they will have a girl a boy. Their tradition favors having boys, and will have an abortion if are expecting a girl. Naturally, 105 boys are born for every 100 girls, but now there is a gender imbalance because there are 126 boys born per every 100 girls. Appiah would say that it is in fact a taboo to have an abortion in many countries, especially developing ones, but having and maintaining tradition is much more important to them. Appiah would suggest to inform people about the consequences about having boys over girls and how it could affect future generations to come. He would also just say to provide the information, not to let them feel like they are being forced to do something. The chances that they will break their traditions to follow another’s suggestion are more to slim and none. Nobody likes being told what to do. Appiah says that in order to live in peace we have to accept another’s traditions, ideas, cultures, etc., even if we don’t always agree with them. However, as Hvistendahl said, the future is the one that is in danger because of the decrease amount in women which will cause more violence, and wars over wives and being able to reproduce. Appiah would just suggest to get together with leaders of the countries in order to find a solution. In the end, if nothing is done soon, gender imbalance will increase and all the horrors one wants to avoid will become a reality.

Works Cited
Appiah, Kwame Anthony. “Making Conversation.” Emerging. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston, MA:
Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. 551-561. Print.
Appiah, Kwame Anthony. “The Primacy of Practice.” Emerging. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston,
MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. 551-561. Print.
Hvistendahl, Mara. “Missing: 163 Million Women.” Emerging. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston,
MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. 551-561. Print.