The Social Dynamics of Labor Shortage in South African Small-Scale Agriculture

Hull, Elizabeth

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between unemployment, family structure, and labor allocation in rural South Africa. Chronic joblessness has meant that many young, unemployed adults remain in the parental home. However, their productive labor is often not utilized in family farming. Using detailed ethnographic data on intra-household social relations, I argue that the prohibitive cost of marriage, and its consequent decline, has led to the erosion of obligations formerly implied by the “conjugal contract”. Young, unmarried adults often have limited responsibilities to provide labor or income to the parental home, diminishing the overall viability of small-scale farming.

Citation

Hull, E. (2014). The Social Dynamics of Labor Shortage in South African Small-Scale Agriculture. World Development, 59, 451-460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.02.003

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2014
• Deposit Date: Mar 3, 2014
• Journal: World Development
• Print ISSN: 0305-750X
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-5991
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 59
• Pages: 451-460
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.02.003