Work

Orphans in Africa: parental death, poverty, and school enrollment

Year: 2004

Type: article

Abstract: We examine the impact of orphanhood on children's school enrollment in 10 sub-Saharan African countries. Although poorer children in Africa are less likely to attend school, the lower enrollment of orphans is not accounted for solely by their poverty. We find that orphans are less likely to be enrolled than are nonorphans with whom they live. Consistent with Hamilton's rule, the theory that the closeness of biological ties governs altruistic behavior, outcomes for orphans depend on the relatedness of orphans to their household heads. The lower enrollment of orphans is largely explained by the greater tendency of orphans to live with distant relatives or unrelated caregivers.

Source: Demography

DOI: 10.1353/dem.2004.0019

Authors: Anne Case, Christina Paxson, Joseph Ableidinger

Institution: Princeton University

Language: English

Topic: Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare

Subfield: Development

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: National Institute on Aging