Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T21:33:32.405Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Empowered women, social networks and the contribution of qualitative research: broadening our understanding of underlying causes for food and nutrition insecurity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

S Lemke ,
HH Vorster ,
NS Jansen van Rensburg  and
J Ziche
S Lemke*
Affiliation:
Center for International Development and Environmental Research, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Otto-Behaghel-Strasse 10, D-35394 Giessen, Germany
HH Vorster
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Sciences, Potchefstroom University, South Africa
NS Jansen van Rensburg
Affiliation:
School of Social Studies, Potchefstroom University, South Africa
J Ziche
Affiliation:
Department of Rural Sociology, Center of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich-Weihenstephan, Germany
*
*Corresponding author: Email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective:

To investigate underlying causes for food and nutrition insecurity in black South African households and to gain understanding of the factors contributing to better nutrition security, with emphasis on household organisation, gender and intra-household dynamics and social networks.

Design, setting and subjects:

Within a larger cross-sectional survey that investigated the impact of urbanisation on the health of black South Africans, 166 people, mostly women, were interviewed on household food security. Methods used were structured face-to-face interviews, in-depth interviews, observation, interviews with key informants and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Information was collected from 1998 to 2000 in 15 rural and urban areas of the North West Province, South Africa.

Results:

Three-quarters of households in this sample are chronically food-insecure. Families are disrupted, due to migrant work, poverty and increasing societal violence, and half of households are female-headed. Certain categories of female-headed households and households based on partnership relationships, despite more limited resources, achieve a better or an equal economic status and better nutrition security than those households led by men, with the latter often being considered an economic liability. The reliance on and fostering of social ties and networks appear to be of central significance.

Conclusion:

Gender and intra-household relations, as well as social networks and income from informal sector activities, are often not uncovered by conventional statistical methods. Qualitative research can reveal the unexpected and furthermore empowers people, as their voices are heard.

Keywords

Food and nutrition insecurityGender and intra-household relationsEmpowermentSocial networksQualitative research
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 6 , Issue 8 , December 2003 , pp. 759 - 764
Copyright
Copyright © CAB International 2003

References

1Parikh, KS. World food system: resilient for the rich, stubborn for the starving. SNC News/United Nations, Administrative Committee on Coordination, Subcommittee on Nutrition 2000; 20 17–20.Google Scholar
2De Haen, H. Preparing for the World Food Summit: five years later. In: Civil Society and the UN System: Debate in the Food Security Arena [special issue]. SNC News/United Nations, Administrative Committee on Coordination, Subcommittee on Nutrition 2001; 23 : 4–5.Google Scholar
3Adams, AM, Cekan, JSauerborn, R. Towards a conceptual framework of household coping: reflections from rural West Africa. Africa 1998; 68(2): 262–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Maxwell, S, Smith, M. Household food security: a conceptual review. In: Maxwell, S, Frankenberger, TR, eds. Household Food Security: Concepts, Indicators, Measurements. A Technical Review. New York: United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), 1992; 1–72.Google Scholar
5Kennedy, E, Peters, P. Household food security and child nutrition: the interaction of income and gender of household head. World Development 1992; 20(8): 1077–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Van der Waal, CS. Rural children and residential instability in the Northern Province of South Africa. Social Dynamics 1996; 22(1): 31–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Spiegel, AD, Watson, V, Wilkinson, P. Domestic diversity and fluidity among some African households in Greater Cape Town. Social Dynamics 1996; 22(1): 7–30.Google Scholar
8Liebenberg, A. Dealing with relationships of inequality. Married women in a Transkei village. In: McAllister, PA, ed. Culture and the Commonplace. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University, 1997; 349–73.Google Scholar
9Jones, S. Singlehood for security: towards a review of the relative economic status of women and children in woman-led households. Society in Transition, Journal of the South African Sociology Association 1999; 30(1): 13–27.Google Scholar
10Lemke, S. Food and nutrition security in black South African households: creative ways of coping and survival. Dissertation, Center of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich-Weihenstephan, Germany, 2001 (http://tumb1.biblio.tu-muenchen.de/publ/diss/ww/2001/lemke.pdf).Google Scholar
11Vorster, HH, Wissing, MP, Venter, CS, Kruger, HS, Kruger, A, Malan, NT, et al. The Impact of urbanization on physical, physiological and mental health of Africans in the North West Province of South Africa: The THUSA Study. South African Journal of Science 2000; 96: 1–10.Google Scholar
12Creswell, JW. Research Design. Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1994.Google Scholar
13Denzin, NK, Lincoln, YS, Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1994.Google Scholar
14Miles, MB, Hubermann, AM. Qualitative Data Analysis. London: Sage, 1994.Google Scholar
15Rubin, HJ, Rubin, IS. Qualitative Interviewing. The Art of Hearing Data. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1995.Google Scholar
16Koen, E. Women's empowerment: a threat to the family? Welfare Focus 1994; 29 13–8.Google Scholar
17Niehaus, IA. Disharmonious spouses and harmonious siblings: conceptualising household formation among urban residents in Qwaqwa. African Studies 1994; 53(1): 115–35.Google Scholar
18Van der Vliet, V. Traditional husbands, modern wives? Constructing marriages in a South African township. In: Spiegel, AD, McAllister, PA, eds. Tradition and Transition in Southern Africa. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press 1991; 219–41.Google Scholar
19Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Rome Declaration on World Food Security and World Food Summit Plan of Action. Rome: FAO 1996; 7.Google Scholar
20Evans, A. Statistics. In: Ostergaard, L, ed. Gender and Development. London: Routledge, 1992; 11–40.Google Scholar
21May, J, Woolard, I, Klasen, S, The nature and measurement of poverty and inequality. In: May, J, ed. Poverty and Inequality in South Africa: Meeting the Challenge. Cape Town: David Philip, 2000; 19–48.Google Scholar
22Von Braun, J. Food security–a conceptual basis In: Kracht, U, Schulz, M, eds. Food Security and Nutrition. The Global Challenge. New York: St. Martin's, 1999; 41–53.Google Scholar
23Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)/World Health Organization (WHO). AIDS Epidemic Update. UNAIDS/WHO 2002, 12 2002 (http://www.unaids.org).Google Scholar