The problem or the solution? Early fertility and parenthood in the transition to adulthood in Khayelitsha, South Africa

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3973087
AutoresAlison Swartz (0000-0002-4021-9838, University of Cape Town, autor de correspondencia), C J Colvin (0000-0002-8930-7863, University of Cape Town), Christopher Colvin (University of Cape Town), Anna Harrison (0000-0002-1673-8486, Brown University), Abigail Harrison (0000-0003-1938-5513, Assistant Professor, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, School of Public Health, International Health Institute, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA)
Año2018
Volumen26
Número54
Páginas145-154
Fecha de publicación2018-11-08
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaReproductive Health Matters (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0968-8080 • E-ISSN: 1460-9576
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09688080.2018.1537417
PMID30411667
OpenAlexW2899561781
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas24

In South Africa, early fertility and teenage pregnancy have become a central focus of both political and public health concern. In this article, we explore the ways that young men and women have used their fertility and performance of parenthood to navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood. For these young people, the persistent inequities related to income poverty, inadequate education, lack of employment opportunities and a high burden of disease remain significant barriers to achieving this transition. This article draws on ethnographic data collected between 2014 and early 2016 with young adults (17-25 years) in Town Two, Khayelitsha. Participant observation was the primary data collection method. Narratives and experiences of 15 young people are presented here. We argue that in addition to immediate fertility desires, young people's contraceptive decision-making was significantly shaped by gendered ideals and social norms. Young women's fertility operated as both an aspiration and a threat within partnerships. Some couples partially achieved relationship stability or longevity through having a child. Entering parenthood in the context of a seemingly stable relationship was perceived as a movement towards an accepted, albeit tenuous, form of social adulthood. Although living up to the ideal of good parent was challenging, it was partially achieved by young mothers who provided care and young fathers who provided financially for children. In the absence of other accepted markers of transition to adulthood and within a context of deprivation and exclusion, early fertility, though clearly a public health problem, can become a solution to social circumstances

Developmental psychology · Economic growth · Economics · Fertility · Geography · Population · Poverty · Reproductive health · Sociology · Young adult · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Demography · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Gender Studies · Global Maternal and Child Health · Psychology