The commodity chain of the household: from survey design to policy planning. Dr Ernestina Coast (LSE) Dr Sara Randall (UCL) Dr Tiziana Leone (LSE)

Transcription

1 The commodity chain of the household: from survey design to policy planning Dr Ernestina Coast (LSE) Dr Sara Randall (UCL) Dr Tiziana Leone (LSE)

2 Do household definitions matter? The household is central to the development process. Not only is the household a production unit but it is also a consumption, social and demographic unit Kenya: Ministry of Planning and National Development 2003:59

3 Aim To establish how the concept of the household is defined and used in household surveys in sub- Saharan Africa and the implications of these definitions for analyses and policy-making.

4 The issues What are the implications of household definition for Data commissioners Data collectors Data analysts Data users Policy makers Planning / implementing targeted interventions Household members / general population

5 6 inter-related research questions 1. How are survey conceptions of the 'household' at odds with the local reality of households? 2. What are the characteristics of the differences between survey and local definitions of the household? 3. What are the implications of current household definitions for analyses and policy decisions? 4. To what extent are those who USE survey data aware of the implications of definitions used? 5. How might differences in the survey and local conception of the household impact on analyses and policy making? 6. How could household surveys be improved in order to better capture the reality/ realities of households?

6 We are not.. Redefining the definition of the household

7 The Rationale Household surveys: essential for the production of data and information for policy design and planning interventions.

8 The Rationale Household surveys: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) depend extensively on household surveys for assessment of whether MDG targets have been achieved.

9 The Rationale Household surveys: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Little attention is paid by commissioners, producers and consumers of household survey data to: the issue of what the household unit used in the survey is, how household is defined, what this definition might mean for analysis, interpretation and, policy planning.

10 The Rationale Household surveys: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Little attention is paid by commissioners, producers and consumers of household survey data to definitions If a survey-defined concept of a household differs systematically from locally understood and lived basic socio-economic units research based on this minimal social unit definition becomes much less useful for subsequent analysis raises significant issues in terms of survey (and subsequent analysis) validity.

11 Methods Document review (1950-present) Sub-Saharan Africa Censuses post-1960 Major household surveys post-1980 Key informant in-depth interviews (International) Ground truthing fieldwork (Tanzania case studies) In-depth interviews Modelling differences, to include: Female headed households Household dependency ratios Asset indices Household size

12 Documenting recent household surveys To understand how the concept of household has been used in household surveys & censuses in Africa output Description of differences in standard household definitions by country, survey types, Anglophone/ Francophone Interview key informant producers and consumers of household surveys How is the concept of household produced, understood, interpreted and used at all stages of the data production and utilisation chain output Which types of people are in/excluded in survey households and why excluded? Understanding of general and specific validity of the survey household Attitudes towards household as basic social unit Concept of household head Local household concepts: Identification and construction To identify local constructions of household concepts for a range of settings output Vocabulary for different interdependencies: spatial, cooking, kin, production, etc Identification of type and direction of differences in local and survey constructions of household Advance reasons for differences identified Dissemination To commissioners, producers and users of household surveys and data Scenario modelling Model the potential impact of different household definitions on major sociodemographic indicators Project outputs: policy briefings, website, articles, conference presentations, seminars:

13 Documenting recent household surveys To understand how the concept of household has been used in household surveys & censuses in Africa output Description of differences in standard household definitions by country, survey types, Anglophone/ Francophone Interview key informant producers and consumers of household surveys How is the concept of household produced, understood, interpreted and used at all stages of the data production and utilisation chain output Which types of people are in/excluded in survey households and why excluded? Understanding of general and specific validity of the survey household Attitudes towards household as basic social unit Concept of household head Local household concepts: Identification and construction To identify local constructions of household concepts for a range of settings output Vocabulary for different interdependencies: spatial, cooking, kin, production, etc Identification of type and direction of differences in local and survey constructions of household Advance reasons for differences identified Dissemination To commissioners, producers and users of household surveys and data Scenario modelling Model the potential impact of different household definitions on major sociodemographic indicators Project outputs: policy briefings, website, articles, conference presentations, seminars:

14 Preliminary results and emergent themes

15 Interviews: Survey commissioners, producers and consumers Distinction between Operational household of the data collectors Unit of analysis of the data consumers Data collectors: very clear idea of household definition Practical considerations sampling frame Standardisation important for comparative purposes Data analysts may be aware of household definition and implications Data consumers unaware of definition issues The main concern is to have a survey at all Need for updated information is the strongest drive

16 Emerging themes: poor representation in household surveys Types of people Single person households Urban affluent Household headship? Migrants Mobile populations Pastoralists / fishers Occupations Mining Agribusiness Construction Household membership Polygamous groups Urban poor Young adults Children Migrants Flexible households School children POVERTY MIGRATION Where is the cooking pot?

17 Tanzanian fieldwork Mix of cognitive and in-depth interviewing Household grid sheet designed to permit flexible data collection Longido: agro-pastoralist area (9 households ) Urban Poor: Dar Es Salaam (23 households )

18 Modelling definition impacts Created variables such as: Would this person make it into DHS? Would this person make it into Census? Calculated socio-demographic indicators Dependency ratio % female headed household Household size

19 Discussion Data collectors clear about what a household is, users less so Definition matters for analysis and policy intervention Not just a matter of leaving unusual groups out Household member relationships need to be clearly articulated No need to change definitions but possibly more flexible data collection? How can we add warnings about household data for users?

20 Outputs to date Presentations at UAPS (Union of African Population Studies) AIDELF (Association Internationale des Démographes de Langue Française) PAA (Population Association of America) EAPS (European Association of Population Studies) BSPS (British Society for Population Studies) Vital Signs Conference ESRC Research Methods Festival LSE Africa Research seminar All presentations available via ESRC SocietyToday Organised (jointly with BSPS) a one-day workshop on the concept of the household

21 The SDMI. Examples of similar issues in non-developing country settings Potential application to other settings e.g.: ethnic minority and diaspora sub-populations in the UK