Complex definitions of child work Children in Developing Countries Renata Serra – Feb. 19 th 2007

The work of children The work of children is many things:  Means of subsistence  Play  Basis for social relationships  Basis for constructing identity Implications:  The distinction between these components is hard to draw See examples in Invernizzi, p  Difficult to separate work and personal spheres

Cultural conceptions of work Prevailing western conceptions of work imply:  Work is productive  Work can be separated from other human activities  Consensus on what work is  NOTE: intense debate on unpaid work and caring services However, in many cultural contexts:  Work identified by the income rather than the production E.g., begging  Work can be pursued for other than mere material services “Values” of solidarity, identity, autonomy  Work identified by the “effort” spent regardless of results  “What work is” can be highly subjective

Childhood and work Prevailing notions of childhood influence how work is regarded  Western societies: childhood is play and school  work is frowned upon  Developing countries: childhood is learning adult roles and disciplines  work is valuable Work as survival strategy  Focus on the survival role rather than on specific activities (see ex. in Invernizzi, p. 37) Work as “socialization”  Learning to live in the street, autonomy, personal initiative

Work as survival Family or individual survival Usefulness of the activity for the client  This may distinguish work from begging Income  But children may receive a remuneration for their work from parents who retain the income Effort spent All these dimensions change with the child’s age, gender, and other characteristics  For ex., children may go in and out selling and begging and there may be a continuum line between the two

Work as identity Both positive and negative aspects may be associated with work  Different implications for child psychology and sense of identity  Identity may be related to both objective and subjective factors What are the types of work and the work conditions where benefits are greater in terms of child’s psyche and well-being? What are the contexts where the child is more likely to be abused, maltreated or suffer psychologically?

Work as social relationships Social relationships are the main source for survival in poor societies Knowing someone up in the socio-economic scale is both a source of pride and avenue for further possibilities Social relationships may be a double sword  Sense of identity and belonging may increase  Others may be the cause of loss of self-respect  Simply, help from others may undermine the quest for autonomy and independence