Relatives in Residence: Relatedness of Household Members Drives Schooling Differentials in Mozambique. Issue 4 (20th January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lopus, Sara
• Is Part Of: Journal of marriage and family. Volume 79:Issue 4(2017)
• Page Start: 897
• Page End: 914
• Publication Date: 2017-01-20
• Subjects: African families -- education -- family structure -- fathers -- fixed effects models; Family -- Periodicals; Marriage -- Periodicals; 306.805
• DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12393
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-2445

Abstract

Abstract: Children typically receive investments from their fathers, but absent fathers often invest at low levels. In a father's absence, what types of nonfathers invest heavily in children? This article investigates educational participation as a reflection of childhood investments on Ibo Island, Mozambique, where only one third of school‐aged children live with their biological fathers. Father‐present children generally attended school at the highest rates. Stepchildren and father‐absent relatives (e.g., grandchildren, nieces) attended school at comparably high rates if any coresiding children were father‐present. This may signal high altruism among present fathers toward some nonoffspring. Consistent with this result, a fixed effects model indicates that, within the same household, adult males invested equally in their own children, relatives, and stepchildren. Prejudicially lower investments were made in children who were unrelated to the household's adult males, however; this result has strong negative implications for the well‐being of African children fostered by nonrelatives.