IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v64y2007i12p2454-2463.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Political economy, labor migration, and the AIDS epidemic in rural Malawi

Author

Listed:
  • Mtika, Mike Mathambo

Abstract

This study examines how livelihood struggles push rural Malawians into AIDS-risky sexual behavior. The study involved in-depth interviews of 59 household guardians, four key informant group discussions, and after work observations and interviews of 19 people working, traveling, or running businesses. Findings reveal that circular migration has become a livelihood practice for adults aged 20-49 in rural Malawi through which they contract AIDS. This migration springs from the fragile political economy brought about by development strategies that did not build up and deploy human capital in rural communities. Doing so would advance local economic enterprise that would reduce prime age adults' involvement in circular migration and improve their opportunities for self-determination thus increasing the adoption of AIDS prevention interventions in rural Malawi. The abstinence, being faithful, and condom use (ABC) interventions in controlling AIDS need to be complemented by developing human capital and using it to unlock the economic growth and problem-solving potential in rural communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Mtika, Mike Mathambo, 2007. "Political economy, labor migration, and the AIDS epidemic in rural Malawi," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(12), pages 2454-2463, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:64:y:2007:i:12:p:2454-2463
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277-9536(07)00191-8
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gary S. Becker, 1994. "Human Capital Revisited," NBER Chapters, in: Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, Third Edition, pages 15-28, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Kydd, Jonathan & Christiansen, Robert, 1982. "Structural change in Malawi since independence: Consequences of a development strategy based on large-scale agriculture," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 10(5), pages 355-375, May.
    3. Gary S. Becker & Kevin M. Murphy & Robert Tamura, 1994. "Human Capital, Fertility, and Economic Growth," NBER Chapters, in: Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, Third Edition, pages 323-350, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Obbo, Christine, 1993. "HIV transmission through social and geographical networks in Uganda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 949-955, April.
    5. Gary S. Becker, 1994. "Investment in Human Capital: Rates of Return," NBER Chapters, in: Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, Third Edition, pages 59-160, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Becker, Gary S., 1994. "Human Capital," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 3, number 9780226041209, September.
    7. Gary S. Becker, 1994. "Age, Earnings, Wealth, and Human Capital," NBER Chapters, in: Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, Third Edition, pages 228-244, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Gary S. Becker & Nigel Tomes, 1994. "Human Capital and the Rise and Fall of Families," NBER Chapters, in: Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, Third Edition, pages 257-298, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Gary S. Becker, 1994. "Investment in Human Capital: Effects on Earnings," NBER Chapters, in: Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, Third Edition, pages 29-58, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Beegle, Kathleen & Poulin, Michelle, 2012. "Migration and the transition to adulthood in contemporary Malawi," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6200, The World Bank.
    2. Hirsch, Jennifer S., 2014. "Labor migration, externalities and ethics: Theorizing the meso-level determinants of HIV vulnerability," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 38-45.
    3. Nicola Ansell & Elsbeth Robson & Flora Hajdu & Lorraine van Blerk & Lucy Chipeta, 2009. "The new variant famine hypothesis," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 9(3), pages 187-207, July.
    4. Kathleen Beegle & Michelle Poulin, 2013. "Migration and the Transition to Adulthood in Contemporary Malawi," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 648(1), pages 38-51, July.
    5. Mwale, Martin Limbikani & Kamninga, Tony Mwenda, 2022. "Land rights and the impact of farm input subsidies on poverty convergence," MPRA Paper 112431, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Kevin J. A. Thomas & Christopher Inkpen, 2013. "Migration Dynamics, Entrepreneurship, and African Development: Lessons from Malawi," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(4), pages 844-873, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Susan Dynarski, 2008. "Building the Stock of College-Educated Labor," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(3), pages 576-610.
    2. Almas Heshmati & Biwei Su, 2013. "Development and Sources of Labor Productivity in Chinese Provinces," China Economic Policy Review (CEPR), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 2(02), pages 1-30.
    3. Nuarpear Lekfuangfu, 2016. "Mortality Risk and Human Capital Investment: The Legacy of Landmines in Cambodia," PIER Discussion Papers 35., Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research, revised Jul 2016.
    4. Hendricks, Lutz, 1999. "Taxation and long-run growth1," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 411-434, April.
    5. María Gil Izquierdo & Laura de Pablos Escobar & María Martínez Torres, 2010. "Los determinantes socioeconómicos de la demanda de Educación Superior en España y la movilidad educativa intergeneracional," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 193(2), pages 75-108, June.
    6. Stuth, Stefan & Schorlemmer, Julia & Hennig, Marina & Allmendinger, Jutta, 2014. "Freiwilliges Engagement: Ein Patentrezept für Wiedereinsteigerinnen?," Discussion Papers, Presidential Department P 2014-007, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    7. C. Michael Aho & Thomas O. Bayard, 1984. "Costs and Benefits of Trade Adjustment Assistance," NBER Chapters, in: The Structure and Evolution of Recent US Trade Policy, pages 153-194, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Ana María Ibá-ez, 2014. "Growth in forced displacement: cross-country, sub-national and household evidence on potential determinants," Chapters, in: Robert E.B. Lucas (ed.), International Handbook on Migration and Economic Development, chapter 13, pages 350-387, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Brown, Byron W. & Woodbury, Stephen A., 1998. "Seniority, external labor markets, and faculty pay," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 771-798.
    10. Olatunji A. Shobande & Simplice A. Asongu, 2021. "Has Knowledge Improved Economic Growth? Evidence from Nigeria and South Africa," Working Papers 21/059, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    11. Huffman, Wallace E & Just, Richard E, 2004. "Implications of Agency Theory for Optimal Land Tenure Contracts," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 52(3), pages 617-642, April.
    12. Zimmerman, Dennis & Miles, Barbara, 1994. "Substituting Direct Government Lending for Guaranteed Student Loans: How Budget Rules Distorted Economic Decisionmaking," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 47(4), pages 773-787, December.
    13. Sile Padraigin O'Dorchai, 2008. "Do women gain or lose from becoming mothers?," Brussels Economic Review, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles, vol. 51(2/3), pages 243-268.
    14. repec:eee:labchp:v:2:y:1986:i:c:p:789-848 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Golder, Stefan M., 2000. "Endowment or Discrimination? An Analysis of Immigrant-Native Earnings Differentials in Switzerland," Kiel Working Papers 967, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    16. van Teeffelen Lex & Uhlaner Lorraine M., 2013. "Firm Resource Characteristics and Human Capital as Predictors of Exit Choice: An Exploratory Study of SMEs," Entrepreneurship Research Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 84-108, January.
    17. Zattoni, Alessandro & Witt, Michael A. & Judge, William Q. & Talaulicar, Till & Chen, Jean Jinghan & Lewellyn, Krista & Hu, Helen Wei & Gabrielsson, Jonas & Rivas, Jose Luis & Puffer, Sheila & Shukla,, 2017. "Does board independence influence financial performance in IPO firms? The moderating role of the national business system," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(5), pages 628-639.
    18. Boldrin, Michele & Montes Alonso, Ana, 1998. "Intergenerational transfer institutions public education and public pensions," UC3M Working papers. Economics 6148, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía.
    19. Hannu Tervo, 2014. "Who turns to entrepreneurship later in life? - Push and pull in Finnish rural and urban areas," ERSA conference papers ersa14p236, European Regional Science Association.
    20. Polachek, Solomon W., 2008. "Earnings Over the Life Cycle: The Mincer Earnings Function and Its Applications," Foundations and Trends(R) in Microeconomics, now publishers, vol. 4(3), pages 165-272, April.
    21. Gjipali Arsena & Kristo Suela, 2011. "Mincer Rates Of Return To Education In The Emerging Economy Of Albania," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 6(2), pages 27-36, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:64:y:2007:i:12:p:2454-2463. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.