adolescence, youth and development workshop, population division, united nations headquarters in new...

Adolescence, Youth and Development Workshop, Population Division, United

Nations Headquarters in New York, 21–22 July 2011

Intergenerational Relations in Africa with a special focus

on South Africa

Monde Makiwane, PhD

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AIMS OF THE PRESENTATIONAIMS OF THE PRESENTATION

To present an understanding of Intergenerational issues in Africa with a focus on South Africa.

A brief Context:• Africa not a uniform

and homogenous developmental and demographic entity

• SA just emerged from an Apartheid past

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AIMS OF THE PRESENTATION (contd.)

AIMS OF THE PRESENTATION (contd.)Main issues discussed:

• Intergenerationality: The Concept

• Wealth flow between generations

• Demographic change • Information Technology • Hybridity• Policy Options

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Flow of wealth among generations in Africa Flow of wealth among generations in Africa

• Caldwell’s Wealth Flow “theory” (1976)• Wealth flow in

“Primitive” societies• Wealth Flow in

“Modern” societies• Conditions for

“fertility change”

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Evidence from South Africa Evidence from South Africa Unidirectional Wealth Model:• The wealth flows from parent to children when children are young• A long period of lull: no transfers• Then a windfall from parents to children in the form of inheritances

Multidirectional Flow Models:• Wealth flows from parents when they are young• Children expected to send remittances to parents • Parents assist children during economic and social crisis

Challenges to wealth flow between generations:• High unemployment• Unstable jobs• Collapse of rural economy

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Fertility Change and Intergenerational relations

Fertility Change and Intergenerational relations

• Fertility decline is underway in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa (Makiwane and Chimere-Dan 2010)

• Fertility decline progressed much further in North and Southern Africa

• Fertility decline is widespread even in the context of poverty

• Continued early childbearing in all of Africa (World Bank 2010)

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Mortality and Intergenerational Relations

Mortality and Intergenerational Relations

• High adult mortality in Africa thus increase in the number of orphans (Jamison et al. 2006)

• Adult mortality is highest in regions which have been most affected by HIV/AIDS

• Grandparents play a leading role in the care of orphans

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Evidence of youth bulge in SAEvidence of youth bulge in SA

20 15 10 5 0 5 10 15 20

0-4

10-14

20-24

30-34

40-44

50-54

60-64

70-74

80 +

% of the population

Age group

1960

15 10 5 0 5 10 15

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80 +

% of the population

Age group

2007

Male Female

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Youth Bulge and Intergenerational Relations

Youth Bulge and Intergenerational Relations

• Result of decline in fertility, a bulge in the working population emerges.

• Demographic change driven by fertility decline not mortality

• Will Africa be able to make use of the youth bulge?

• Future of youth bulge in Africa: Much longer than anywhere else?

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The Youth and communication technology

The Youth and communication technology

• Could the youth dividend manifest differently in Africa?

• E.g, through unprecedented penetration of mobile phones.

• Diverse usage, e.g. monitoring elections, delivering health messages, money transfers, banking and distance education

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The Second Demographic Dividend The Second Demographic Dividend

• The elderly are few (about 5%) but a growing population in Africa

• The elderly play a key role in caring for orphans and vulnerable children

• Where there is Social Security, it provides a social net for older persons to support entire households

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Migration and intergenerational relations Migration and intergenerational relations

• High out migration of skilled young people from Africa

• Destination becoming diverse and growing feminization of migration.

• Low rate of remittances into sub-Saharan Africa.

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Hybridity and intergenerational relations Hybridity and intergenerational relations

• “Creation of new trans-cultural forms within the contact zone” (Litvack 2006).

• Assumptions of new forms of expression, including linguistic, cultural and political expressions

• Positive: Mutuality of the process

• Negative: Multiple demands; Migrants erasing the memory of their background

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Policy optionsPolicy options

• Programmes to reduce early childbearing• Support for voluntary and flexible economic and social

participation among youth • Technology and media that encourages better

intergenerational relations• Better facilitation of Money Flows between migrants and

the sending community

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REFERENCESREFERENCES

• Caldwell, J. (1976) “Towards a restatement of demographic theory” Population and Development Review Population Council. 2. pp 321-366

• Jamison D., Feachem R., Makgoba M. Bos E., Baingana R., Hofman K., Rogo K. (2006) Disease and Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. The World Bank. Washington

D.C. • Makiwane M. and Chimere-Dan O. (2010) “The People Matter”: The state of the

Eastern Cape Population. A report prepared for the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development, Unpublished.

Social science that makes a difference

MMakiwane@hsrc.ac.za