I would think that in a country with more men than women a daughter would bring a large dowry into a marriage.
You would think. I've always wondered why this isn't the case in India, where the dowry is deeply routed in tradition. I believe it's just a matter of time before the supply/demand equation will result in the bride's family receiving the dowry, instead of the other way around.
I think you mean the other way around: if there are more men and fewer women, the men would pay a large bride-price. A dowry paid to the man’s family would be logical when men are scarcer.
However, it’s more complicated than that. In some societies, the dowry is less of a bribe to the man than a kind of trust settlement on the bride, so that she has some independent resources. In theory, at least ...