Using Identity and Recognition as a Framework to Understand and Promote the Resilience of Caregiving Children in Western Kenya

Abstract

Children around the world have been observed to assume caregiving responsibilities when a parent or other family members fall ill. Whilst the circumstances surrounding caregiving children in Anglophone countries have been looked at in detail, we know relatively little about how children in Africa experience young caregiving. This paper seeks to further our understanding of caregiving children in Africa by looking at how local constructions of childhood can facilitate their agency and resilience, paying particular attention to the role of identity and recognition. The study involved 48 caregiving children from Western Kenya who through individual interviews, photography and draw-and-write compositions articulated their experiences. The views of ten local adults have also been included. A thematic analysis revealed that caregiving children in Kenya are active participants in community life. Their participation is encouraged by local understandings of childhood and recognition of their efforts, enabling the children to construct positive identities that enhance their resilience. The paper argues that the way in which caregiving children in Kenya respond to their circumstances is influenced by a social recognition of their activities and agency. This recognition, mediated by local representations of childhood, allows the children to construct positive social identities that facilitate resilience. We conclude that there is a need for policy and practice on young caregiving, in all countries and contexts, to consider the role of social recognition and local constructions of childhood in shaping the resilience of caregiving children.

‘It made me realise that I am lucky for what I got’: British young carers encountering the realities of their African peers

“…The paper argues that there is a need to create opportunities for young carers in Britain to encounter different and new ways of seeing young caregiving, allowing some to develop more positive carer identities. Drawing on previous findings (Skovdal & Andreouli, 2011), we argue that such positive identities build children's self-esteem amd enhance their resilience and ability to deal with hardship.…”

“…This provides caregiving children and youth in sub-Saharan Africa with a different set of resources they can draw on to make sense of their circumstances. In Kenya for example, we found that young carers were respected by local community members and received recognition for their efforts (Skovdal and Andreouli 2011). This recognition enabled the children and youth to construct positive social identities that facilitate resilience and give meaning to very difficult circumstances.…”

“…active contributors to household livelihoods) is aligned with local understandings of childhood -helping the children to give positive meanings to their difficult situation Andreouli 2011). Relatedly, a growing body of social psychological research suggests that devaluing and stigmatising representations can be resisted among young people (Howarth 2002).…”

Supporting ‘Young Carers’ in Kenya: From Policy Paralysis to Action

“…give positive meanings to difficult circumstances (Robson and Ansell 2000;Robson, Ansell et al 2006;Evans and Becker 2009;Skovdal and Andreouli 2011).…”

“…First, community members can provide development workers with a wealth of information that is expressive of local realities, social dynamics and responses to hardship (Campbell and Jovchelovitch 2000). Local knowledge may for example reveal the practical and symbolic resources that communities can contribute to the provision of services (Skovdal and Andreouli 2010;Skovdal and Campbell 2010). Second, bringing forward local recommendations is necessary if we are to move beyond a recognition of what outsiders can and need to do to support young carers and come to an agreement -between global and local actors -on how best to work together to provide young carers with meaningful support (Jovchelovitch 2007).…”