Social Norms and Family Child Labor: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Background. Research has established the family as the predominant context for child labor practices. Decisions to involve children in child labor within the family or by a family member (herein family child labor) is strongly motivated by cultural beliefs that normalize child labor. This systematic review sought to synthesize evidence on the social norms that support child labor practices, and the normative interpretation of international child labor legislation/standards. Methods. We followed the PRISMA procedure for systematic review by reviewing empirical articles published between 2000 to 2021 and contained within the four key databases: Scopus, ISI Web of Sciences, PubMed and Embase. Findings from 13 articles that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed thematically. Results. The review included studies from three continents: Africa, Asia and Europe. Gender norms, informal apprenticeship norm, norms on succession and sustenance as well as obedience, were key social norms that influenced child labor practices in the family. Parents’ decision to involve children in child labor was strongly influenced by the collective acceptance of some occupations (e.g., cocoa farming and fishing) as family occupations, which need to be preserved, undertaken and passed on to children. Child rights and the UNCRC principle of children’s participation were considered foreign to most non-western countries and interpreted as contravention to the cherished social norm of obedience. The findings underlie the link between social norms and the common social values of resilience, hard work, and respect. Conclusion. The results provide foundations and target to develop normative change intervention programs to re-orient the negative interpretations of common social values and provide alternative pathways that prevent child labor within the social context.

How do children perceive and understand the experience of household food insecurity? A narrative review of the literature

“…While child labour in the informal economy is commonly associated with developing countries, it is noteworthy that some research reports similar phenomena occurring in affluent industrialised nations (Abdullah et al, 2022;Adamson et al, 2007;Dammert et al, 2018). This highlights the pervasive influence of poverty and food insecurity on children's lives, transcending national boundaries.…”

“…They argue that an overly restrictive approach to child labour can overlook the nuances of children's agency and their contributions to household livelihoods. Furthermore, Abdullah et al. (2022) stress the importance of understanding child labour within the broader cultural and socio-economic context, as it often intersects with poverty and limited access to educational opportunities.…”

Configuración cultural de la juventud del sur de Quito en la parroquia la Ferroviaria

“…Dentro del análisis del trabajo infanto-juvenil, la consideración del contexto familiar hacia los menores es muy importante puesto que investigaciones precedentes han demostrado que la familia cumple un rol predominante en el contexto del trabajo infantil (Abdullah et al, 2022) Acerca del trabajo infantil en la parroquia, la presente investigación encontró un aparente porcentaje de inicio de actividades laborales ligeramente superior al encontrado por investigaciones anteriores como la de Esteves realizada en el 2009. El trabajo infantil dificulta el éxito en los estudios y puede favorecer la deserción escolar y dificultar el ingreso y la culminación de estudios universitarios.…”

Street Children in Iran: What Are Their Living and Working Conditions? Findings from a Survey in Six Major Cities

“…Furthermore, these reasons can vary depending on whether children are in industrial or developing countries [ 6 ]. Specifically, many global and local studies in countries, including India, Bangladesh, Namibia, Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, have identified poverty as the most common reason [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ], along with family problems and breakdown, parental deaths, social and cultural norms, displacement due to natural disasters and conflict, domestic violence, child neglect and abuse, inadequate education, legal systems, and peer pressure [ 5 , 8 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ].…”