Articles · Vol. 21 No. 1 (2017): African Sociological Review · Pages 77-98

5 - Family Structure and Children’s Schooling in sub-Saharan Africa

Vol. 21 · 2017 No. 1 African Sociological Review ASR

Abstract

To examine the effect of family structure on children’s schooling in sub-Saharan Africa, we
employed Multi-level Modeling to analyse data from recent Demographic and Health Surveys
(DHS) in 26 African Countries. In general, both polygyny and presence of a husband in the
home detract from children’s education. After controlling for maternal education, children
of single, never married mothers and those who are divorced or separated have educational
disadvantage, suggesting the importance of maternal education for children’s educational
outcomes. Males are more likely than females to have higher educational attainment, especially
those in polygynous families. It is recommended that female education in general and the
education of the girl-child in particular, be encouraged as a way of discouraging such negative
cultural attitudes and practices as polygyny and bias in favour of boys’ education.

Keywords

Monogamy Polygyny Marital Status Multi-level Regression Patriarchy

Statistics

Abstract views
510
Downloads
73

Author Biographies

  • Acheampong Yaw Amoateng

    Research Professor of Sociology and Family Studies and the Director of the Research Focus Area in Population and Health in the Faculty of Humanities Studies, North-West University (Mafikeng Campus). Consulted for such multilateral organizations as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union, the World Health Organization and the World Scout Bureau. Nominated by the African Union in 2011 to be part of the Country Mission to Zambia to assess that country under the African Peer Review Programme. Published widely in high-impact national and international journals and has written several chapters in books/monographs. Research focus and interest in and written widely in the area of Adolescent and Youth development in sub-Saharan Africa.

  • Tim B. Heaton

    Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University,
    Provo, Utah, USA.

  • Camille Mcalmont

    Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA.

References

  1. Agadjanian,V., Ezeh A.C. (2000). Polygyny, gender relations, and reproduction in Ghana. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 3l (4):427-441.
  2. Akresh, R. (2004). Adjusting Household Structure: School Enrollment Impacts of Child Fostering in Burkina Faso. BREAD Working Paper 89; New Haven: Yale Economic Growth Center Working Paper No. 897.
  3. Amankwa, A.A. (1997). Prior and proximate causes of infant survival in Ghana with special attention to polygyny. Journal of Biosocial Science, 28: 281–295.
  4. Amankwa, A.A., Eberstein, I.W., & Schmertmann, C.P. (2001). Polygyny and infant mortality in Western Africa: evidence from Ghana. African Population Studies, 16: 1–13.
  5. Amey, F.K. (2002). Polygyny and child survival in sub-Saharan Africa. Social Biology, 49: 74-89.
  6. Amoateng, A.Y. (2009). Emerging household structures, Poverty and public Policies in South Africa: Preliminary Analysis of the 2009 General Household Survey Data. Unpublished Paper, School of Research and Post-Graduate Studies, North-West University (Mafikeng Campus).
  7. Anderson, K.G. (2000). Family structure, parental investment, and educational Outcomes among Black South Africans. Population Studies Center, University of Michigan, Research Report (Report #00-461).
  8. Andvig, J.C. (2001). Family-Controlled Child Labor in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Survey of Research.
  9. Social Protection Discussion Paper Series, Social Protection Unit, The World Bank.
  10. Basu, K.(1999). Child labor: Cause, consequence, and cure, with remarks on international labor standards. Journal of Economic Literature, 1083–1119.
  11. Beegle, K., Dehejia, R.H., & Gatti, R. (2006). Child labor and agricultural shocks.
  12. Journal of Development Economics, 81: 80–96.
  13. Bicego, G., Shea, R., & Kiersten, J. (2003). Dimensions of the emerging orphan crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. Social Science & Medicine, 56(6): 1235-1247.
  14. Birdthistle, I., Floyd, S., Nyagadza, A., Mudziwapasi, N., Gregson, S., & Glynn, J.R. (2006).
  15. Is education the link between orphanhood and HIV/HSV-2 risk among female adolescents e? Social Science & Medicine, 68 (2009) 1810–1818.

In this issue

Vol. 21 No. 1 (2017): African Sociological Review →

Most read articles by the same author(s)