Topic of thesis: Child Poverty in Rural Communities in Northern Ghana: Do the Social Constructions of childhood count?
Abstract: Knowledge about child poverty is important for overall poverty reduction in developing countries because overall poverty reduction strategies are usually designed based on knowledge about the people living in poverty. Available research efforts about child poverty are mostly extrapolations from the overall poverty data. These are limited and have the tendency of concealing children poverty in that of adults. Literature indicates that child poverty is different from adult poverty because there are differentials in the needs of adults and children and also among children, depending on their ages and that different conceptions of childhood are likely to influence children experiences of poverty differently from adults. Empirical evidence also indicates notions of childhood changes over time, because it is related to the socio-economic and historical context which particular children find themselves as well as the value adults attach to children. Children are located in different social and cultural context and while biological constructions of children is almost culturally universal, social constructions vary across societies and cultures. Yet, how social constructions of children is connected to children poverty is unknown. Hence, this study aims at filling this knowledge gap and to highlight the policy implications for overall poverty reduction in Ghana and other developing countries. Study objectives are to:1. Explore how childhood and children is/are constructed in contemporary times. a) Explore the physiological/ chronological/biological framings or constructions of children alongside the socio-cultural and institutional/structural constructions of children. b) Explore the connection between biological constructions of children and how they are treated. 2. Understand the changes in the social constructions and institutional/structural constructions of childhood and children. a) Explore the socio-cultural framings of children from the 1990s and below. b) Examine the institutional/structural constructions of children from the 1990s and below. 3. Explore the differences if any, in the constructions of boy children and girl children. 4. Investigate how contemporary framing or constructions of children and childhood is connected to child poverty. (Explore how contemporary constructions of children are connected to children material, subjective and relational wellbeing). 5. Understand how variations if any, in the constructions of boy children and girl children contribute differently to boys and girls experience of poverty. This study is being carried out within a conceptualized framework based on both Agency and Structure and Bourdieu's idea of social space and the theory Practice. Literature indicates that African proverbial expressions construct men and women in several and different ways and in both Africa and Asia social and cultural norms are determining factors for young girls to go into marriage or attend school. Hence proverbs connected to children were explored for how children are constructed by adults in rural communities. The study's approach is purely qualitative and using both primary and secondary data. The study involves 101 people (adults, older persons, children) at the community and institutional levels. Data collection and generation tools included: In-depth interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), stories, drawings and follow-up questions, observations and document analysis. Interviews and discussions were voice recorded and transcribed.
Research interests: Childhood studies, child poverty, vulnerability, rural livelihoods and social protection
Graduated from: University of Ghana, Legon
Degrees obtained: Master of Philosophy in Sociology Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology with Political Science
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