The Ethiopian ”family collective” and child agency

Any discussion of the “family collective” and the place of children within it requires an understanding of what constitutes a family and what a child is. Since ”family”, “child” and “agency” are all value-laden notions full of meanings, and vary cross-culturally, they need to be unpacked, and this is one of the things I will be doing throughout this lecture. What is a family? Is there one ideal Ethiopian family collective? Who is the ageless, genderless and culture-neutral “child”? Also, how is the agency of children in the plural differentiated, intersected and dissected by religion, ethnicity, stage of childhood, and social maturity, as well as rural and urban locations? To what extent are the actions of children constrained or enhanced by the family collective and vice versa? Clearly, these are very broad and complex questions, and while I do not attempt to answer them all, I try to approach them from the perspective of my own discipline of geography, largely focusing on rural-urban contrasts, differences and linkages. In so doing, I underline some overlaps, contradictions and peculiarities in the ways in which children exercise agency within families by drawing on (and sometimes inferring from) the limited sociological and anthropological literature on the issue (Hammond 2004, Poluha 2004, 2008, Hamer 1987, Hamer & Hamer 1994), as well as my own research (Abebe 2008). My lecture is organized along the following lines. I begin with problematizing the Ethiopian family collective and present a discussion of families and households, and their diverse structures, forms and functions. Second, I explore the concept of childhood, focusing on how notable lifecycle events, such as birth, name-giving, circumcision, and christening, are infused with notions of agency, particularly ones related to symbolic agency. Finally, I discuss how children experience authority while growing up, and exercise agency to varying degrees and in contexts in which they find themselves. I wish to emphasize from the outset that this attempt is only descriptive and although I give examples whenever possible, this is at the risk of making generalizations about the otherwise ethnically and culturally diverse country of Ethiopia, which, demographically speaking, is also the second most populous nation in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Pre-Linnaean pictures of the secretarybird, Sagittarius serpentarius (J. F. )

Archives of Natural History ◽

10.3366/e0260954108000375 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 243-251 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

RAGNAR K. KINZELBACH

Keyword(s):

Nineteenth Century ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Careful Examination ◽

Nile Valley ◽

Rain Forests ◽

Roman Emperor ◽

Persian Language ◽

The Family ◽

Other Information ◽

Sub Saharan

The secretarybird, the only species of the family Sagittariidae (Falconiformes), inhabits all of sub-Saharan Africa except the rain forests. Secretarybird, its vernacular name in many languages, may be derived from the Arabic “saqr at-tair”, “falcon of the hunt”, which found its way into French during the crusades. From the same period are two drawings of a “bistarda deserti” in a codex by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (1194–1250). The original sketch obviously, together with other information on birds, came from the court of Sultan al-Kâmil (1180–1238) in Cairo. Careful examination led to an interpretation as Sagittarius serpentarius. Two archaeological sources and one nineteenth century observation strengthened the idea of a former occurrence of the secretarybird in the Egyptian Nile valley. André Thevet (1502–1590), a French cleric and reliable research traveller, described and depicted in 1558 a strange bird, named “Pa” in Persian language, from what he called Madagascar. The woodcut is identified as Sagittarius serpentarius. The text reveals East Africa as the real home of this bird, associated there among others with elephants. From there raises a connection to the tales of the fabulous roc, which feeds its offspring with elephants, ending up in the vernacular name of the extinct Madagascar ostrich as elephantbird.

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Decomposing the rural–urban gap in factors associated with childhood immunisation in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from surveys in 23 countries

BMJ Global Health ◽

10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003773 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. e003773

Author(s):

Edward Kwabena Ameyaw ◽

Yusuf Olushola Kareem ◽

Bright Opoku Ahinkorah ◽

Abdul-Aziz Seidu ◽

Sanni Yaya

Keyword(s):

Decomposition Analysis ◽

Household Wealth ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Demographic And Health Surveys ◽

Childhood Immunisation ◽

Urban Settings ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Full Immunisation ◽

Sub Saharan

BackgroundAbout 31 million children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) suffer from immunisation preventable diseases yearly and more than half a million children die because of lack of access to immunisation. Immunisation coverage has stagnated at 72% in SSA over the past 6 years. Due to evidence that full immunisation of children may be determined by place of residence, this study aimed at investigating the rural–urban differential in full childhood immunisation in SSA.MethodsThe data used for this study consisted of 26 241 children pooled from 23 Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2010 and 2018 in SSA. We performed a Poisson regression analysis with robust Standard Errors (SEs) to determine the factors associated with full immunisation status for rural and urban children. Likewise, a multivariate decomposition analysis for non-linear response model was used to examine the contribution of the covariates to the observed rural and urban differential in full childhood immunisation. All analyses were performed using Stata software V.15.0 and associations with a p<0.05 were considered statistically significant.ResultsMore than half of children in urban settings were fully immunised (52.8%) while 59.3% of rural residents were not fully immunised. In all, 76.5% of rural–urban variation in full immunisation was attributable to differences in child and maternal characteristics. Household wealth was an important component contributing to the rural–urban gap. Specifically, richest wealth status substantially accounted for immunisation disparity (35.7%). First and sixth birth orders contributed 7.3% and 14.9%, respectively, towards the disparity while 7.9% of the disparity was attributable to distance to health facility.ConclusionThis study has emphasised the rural–urban disparity in childhood immunisation, with children in the urban settings more likely to complete immunisation. Subregional, national and community-level interventions to obviate this disparity should target children in rural settings, those from poor households and women who have difficulties in accessing healthcare facilities due to distance.

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A REVISED GENERIC SYNOPSIS OF HYACINTHACEAE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, BASED ON MOLECULAR EVIDENCE, INCLUDING NEW COMBINATIONS AND THE NEW TRIBE PSEUDOPROSPEREAE

Edinburgh Journal of Botany ◽

10.1017/s0960428603000404 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 60 (3) ◽

pp. 533-568 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

J. C. MANNING ◽

P. GOLDBLATT ◽

M. F. FAY

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analysis ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Molecular Evidence ◽

New Combinations ◽

Generic Level ◽

The Family ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

Single Genus ◽

New Tribe ◽

Sub Saharan

A revised generic synopsis of sub-Saharan Hyacinthaceae is presented, based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the family. Generic rank is accorded only to reciprocally monophyletic clades that can be distinguished by recognizable morphological discontinuities, thereby permitting an appropriate generic assignment of species not included in the analysis. Three subfamilies are recognized within the region. Subfamily Ornithogaloideae, characterized by flattened or angular seeds with tightly adhering testa, is considered to include the single genus Ornithogalum, which is expanded to include the genera Albuca, Dipcadi, Galtonia, Neopatersonia and Pseudogaltonia. Recognizing any of these segregates at generic level renders the genus Ornithogalum polyphyletic, while subdivision of Ornithogalum into smaller, morphologically distinguishable segregates in order to preserve the monophyly of each is not possible. Subfamily Urgineoideae, characterized by flattened or winged seeds with brittle, loosely adhering testa, comprises the two mainland African genera Bowiea and Drimia. The latter is well circumscribed by its deciduous, short-lived perianth and includes the previously recognized genera Litanthus, Rhadamanthus, Schizobasis and Tenicroa. The monotypic Madagascan Igidia is provisionally included in the subfamily as a third genus on the basis of its seeds, pending molecular confirmation of its relationships. Subfamily Hyacinthoideae resolves into three clades, distinguished as tribes Hyacintheae (strictly northern hemisphere and not treated further), Massonieae and Pseudoprospereae tribus nov. Full descriptions and a key to their identification are provided for all genera. New combinations reflecting the generic circumscriptions adopted here are made for most African and all Indian and Madagascan species.

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Community-driven citizen science approach to explore cardiovascular disease risk perception, and develop prevention advocacy strategies in sub-Saharan Africa: a programme protocol

Research Involvement and Engagement ◽

10.1186/s40900-020-00246-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kufre Joseph Okop ◽

Kathy Murphy ◽

Estelle Victoria Lambert ◽

Kiya Kedir ◽

Hailemichael Getachew ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Citizen Science ◽

Risk Perceptions ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Cardiovascular Disease Risk ◽

Data Gathering ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Sub Saharan

Abstract Background In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which experiences a disproportionately high cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden, population-based screening and prevention measures are hampered by low levels of knowledge about CVD and associated risk factors, and inaccurate perceptions of severity of risk. Methods This protocol describes the planned processes for implementing community-driven participatory research, using a citizen science method to explore CVD risk perceptions and to develop community-specific advocacy and prevention strategies in the rural and urban SSA settings. Multi-disciplinary research teams in four selected African countries will engage with and train community members living in rural and urban communities as citizen scientists to facilitate conceptualization, co-designing of research, data gathering, and co-creation of knowledge that can lead to a shared agenda to support collaborative participation in community-engaged science. The emphasis is on robust community engagement, using mobile technology to support data gathering, participatory learning, and co-creation of knowledge and disease prevention advocacy. Discussion Contextual processes applied and lessons learned in specific settings will support redefining or disassembling boundaries in participatory science to foster effective implementation of sustainable prevention intervention programmes in Low- and Middle-income countries.

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Keeping It in the Family: Lineage Organization and the Scope of Trust in Sub-Saharan Africa

10.3386/w23196 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jacob Moscona ◽

Nathan Nunn ◽

James Robinson

Keyword(s):

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

The Family ◽

Sub Saharan

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Recommendations: The Development of the Agrarian Sector, with Emphasis on Food Production and Distribution

Issue A Journal of Opinion ◽

10.1017/s0047160700500833 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 33-33

Author(s):

Michael F. Lofchie ◽

Gleb V. Smirnov

Keyword(s):

Food Production ◽

Agricultural Development ◽

Food Distribution ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Debt Burden ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Ecological Problems ◽

Production And Distribution ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Investment Goods

A critical problem for Africa is that of food production and distribution, highlighted by declines in food production, widespread hunger, and famine. There are several interrelated sources of this problem, both domestic and external. Among them are ecological problems, engendered by climatic and natural conditions; land fertility depletion in many regions of sub-Saharan Africa; the extreme scarcity of financial resources, accentuated by the debt burden and falling terms of trade; a deficit of investment goods and research and development facilities needed for agricultural development; and weaknesses in rural infrastructure, both economic and social. Unbalanced interaction between the rural and urban economies as well as archaic socioeconomic structures play a major role in the problems of food distribution, with consequent effects on food production.

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Keeping It in the Family: Lineage Organization and the Scope of Trust in Sub-Saharan Africa

The American Economic Review ◽

10.1257/aer.p20171088 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 107 (5) ◽

pp. 565-571 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Jacob Moscona ◽

Nathan Nunn ◽

James A. Robinson

Keyword(s):

Ethnic Groups ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Important Determinant ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Causal Interpretation ◽

Present Evidence ◽

Traditional Structure ◽

The Family ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Limited Scope

We present evidence that the traditional structure of society is an important determinant of the scope of trust today. Within Africa, individuals belonging to ethnic groups that organized society using segmentary lineages exhibit a more limited scope of trust, measured by the gap between trust in relatives and trust in non-relatives. This trust gap arises because of lower levels of trust in non-relatives and not higher levels of trust in relatives. A causal interpretation of these correlations is supported by the fact that the effects are primarily found in rural areas where these forms of organization are still prevalent.

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Adolescent Problem Gambling in Rural Ghana: Prevalence and Gender Differentiation

Journal of Gambling Studies ◽

10.1007/s10899-020-09987-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Samuel Kofi Odame ◽

Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie ◽

Mabel Oti-Boadi ◽

Johnny Andoh-Arthur ◽

Kwaku Oppong Asante

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Problem Gambling ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Personal Factors ◽

Rural Ghana ◽

Adolescent Problem Gambling ◽

The Family ◽

Dsm Iv ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

And Gender

Abstract Problem gambling among young people is now a public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the behaviour remains understudied, particularly, among rural-dwelling young people in countries within the subregion. We aimed to estimate the 12 months prevalence of problem gambling and to describe the overall and gender differences and commonalities in personal factors and social adversities associated with problem gambling among adolescents in rural Ghana. We conducted a cross-sectional survey involving a random sample of 1101 in-school adolescents aged 10–19 years in a rural district in Eastern Ghana; we used the DSM-IV-Multiple Response-Juvenile (DSM-IV-MR-J) questionnaire to assess problem gambling during the previous 12 months. Personal lifestyle and psychosocial variables were assessed using adopted items from the 2012 WHO–Global School-based Student Health Survey. Overall, three in 10 adolescents (3 in 10 females; 4 in 10 males) in rural Ghana reported problem gambling in the previous 12 months. Female adolescents who experienced problem gambling were more likely to report family-related social adversities, while adolescent male problem gambling was associated with school-related factors and interpersonal factors outside the family context. Regardless of gender, sexual abuse victimisation was associated with three times increase in the odds of experiencing problem gambling. Relative to the prevalence of gambling among adolescents in urban contexts in other countries within sub-Saharan Africa, the estimates of problem gambling among in-school rural adolescents in Ghana are higher. Although further studies are needed to understand the nuances of the behaviour, the evidence of this study underscores the need for general and targeted health promotion, intervention and prevention efforts to mitigate the family, school, and interpersonal social adversities associated with adolescent problem gambling in rural Ghana.

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Niger-congo, with a Special Focus on Benue-congo

The Oxford Handbook of African Languages ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199609895.013.4 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 137-160

Author(s):

Jeff Good

Keyword(s):

Morphological Character ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Special Focus ◽

Large Core ◽

Bantu Languages ◽

Class System ◽

Core Set ◽

The Family ◽

Distinctive Type ◽

Sub Saharan

Niger-Congo is the largest referential language group in Africa. The extent to which it represents a true genealogical grouping is not established, though there is a large core set of members of the family that all specialists currently accept as related. These languages spread across sub-Saharan Africa, and their most significant common feature from a comparative perspective is a distinctive type of noun class system. The largest subgroup of Niger-Congo is Benue-Congo, which includes the Bantu languages that dominate the southern part of the continent. From a typological perspective, Niger-Congo languages are quite varied, especially with respect to their degree of morphological elaboration. This is also true of Benue-Congo, with some of its languages having an isolating morphological character and others showing extensive agglutinating morphology. Future comparative work on the family would likely benefit from greater integration of the results of sociolinguistic investigations into models of its historical development.

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