IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v20y2019i5d10.1007_s10902-018-0017-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Family, Belonging and Meaning in Life Among Semi-rural Kenyans

Author

Listed:
  • Michael L. Goodman

    (University of Texas Medical Branch
    Sodzo International)

  • Derrick C. Gibson

    (University of Texas Medical Branch)

  • Philip H. Keiser

    (University of Texas Medical Branch)

  • Stanley Gitari

    (Maua Methodist Hospital)

  • Lauren Raimer-Goodman

    (University of Texas Medical Branch)

Abstract

To date, most research on families in sub-Saharan Africa focus on the various risks associated with family life—transmission of HIV, violence, human rights abuses, and over-population. Substantially less research explores how family membership supports human life and flourishing. In this study we use data from two different cross-sectional studies to investigate whether family functioning, among females (n = 1789), and conflict tactics, among males (n = 263), predict meaning in life. We hypothesized that better family functioning would predict more social support, which would in turn mediate the association between family functioning and meaning in life. Among males, we hypothesized that less violent conflict and more negotiation-based conflict would predict less loneliness, which in turn would predict more meaning in life. In both samples, family relationship quality predicted meaning in life, and were mediated by measures of social belonging. Among females, better family functioning significantly predicted more meaning in life, an association mediated by more social support. Among males, less violent conflict and more negotiation-based conflict predicted less loneliness. While there was no direct association between negotiation-based conflict and meaning in life, there was an indirect association through lower loneliness. The general picture from both samples is that family dynamics provide the opportunity to belong for both women and men, and that this opportunity for social belonging can predict more meaning in life. Further research is required to understand the cultural construction of meaning, and how this can be enhanced by family identification, and conflict tactics. Efforts to strengthen families to reduce risks associated with family life may draw upon the inherent drive towards meaning common across cultures and income levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael L. Goodman & Derrick C. Gibson & Philip H. Keiser & Stanley Gitari & Lauren Raimer-Goodman, 2019. "Family, Belonging and Meaning in Life Among Semi-rural Kenyans," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(5), pages 1627-1645, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:20:y:2019:i:5:d:10.1007_s10902-018-0017-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-018-0017-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-018-0017-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-018-0017-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    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. John Bongaarts & John Casterline, 2013. "Fertility Transition: Is sub-Saharan Africa Different?," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 38, pages 153-168, February.
    2. Adel S Z Abadeer, 2015. "Norms and Gender Violence," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Norms and Gender Discrimination in the Arab World, chapter 0, pages 201-226, Palgrave Macmillan.
    3. Emily Smith-Greenaway & Jenny Trinitapoli, 2014. "Polygynous Contexts, Family Structure, and Infant Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(2), pages 341-366, April.
    4. Corey Keyes, 2006. "Subjective Well-Being in Mental Health and Human Development Research Worldwide: An Introduction," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 77(1), pages 1-10, May.
    5. Karsten Hank & Michael Wagner, 2013. "Parenthood, Marital Status, and Well-Being in Later Life: Evidence from SHARE," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 114(2), pages 639-653, November.
    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. Miriam Chasson & Ofir Ben-Yaakov & Orit Taubman – Ben-Ari, 2021. "Meaning in Life among New Mothers before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Mothers’ Marital Satisfaction and Perception of the Infant," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(8), pages 3499-3512, 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. Brian C. Thiede & Matthew Hancock & Ahmed Kodouda & James Piazza, 2020. "Exposure to Armed Conflict and Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(6), pages 2113-2141, December.
    2. Tia Palermo & Sudhanshu Handa & Amber Peterman & Leah Prencipe & David Seidenfeld, 2016. "Unconditional government social cash transfer in Africa does not increase fertility," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 29(4), pages 1083-1111, October.
    3. Eger, Claudia, 2021. "Gender matters: Rethinking violence in tourism," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    4. Vellore Arthi & James Fenske, 2018. "Polygamy and child mortality: Historical and modern evidence from Nigeria’s Igbo," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 97-141, March.
    5. Antonella Delle Fave & Ingrid Brdar & Teresa Freire & Dianne Vella-Brodrick & Marié Wissing, 2011. "The Eudaimonic and Hedonic Components of Happiness: Qualitative and Quantitative Findings," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 100(2), pages 185-207, January.
    6. Ruchira Tabassum Naved & Mahfuz Al Mamun & Kausar Parvin & Samantha Willan & Andrew Gibbs & Marat Yu & Rachel Jewkes, 2018. "Magnitude and correlates of intimate partner violence against female garment workers from selected factories in Bangladesh," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-22, November.
    7. Oriana Bandiera & Ahmed Elsayed & Andrea Smurra & Céline Zipfel, 2022. "Young Adults and Labor Markets in Africa," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 36(1), pages 81-100, Winter.
    8. Anthony Mveyange, 2015. "On the fertility transition in Africa: Income, child mortality, or education?," WIDER Working Paper Series 089, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    9. Matthias Lühr & Maria K. Pavlova & Maike Luhmann, 2022. "Nonpolitical Versus Political Participation: Longitudinal Associations with Mental Health and Social Well-Being in Different Age Groups," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 159(3), pages 865-884, February.
    10. Büttner, Nicolas & Grimm, Michael & Günther, Isabel & Harttgen, Kenneth & Klasen, Stephan, 2022. "The fertility transition in Sub-Saharan Africa: The role of structural change," Passauer Diskussionspapiere, Volkswirtschaftliche Reihe V-90-22, University of Passau, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    11. Finlay, Jocelyn E., 2021. "Women’s reproductive health and economic activity: A narrative review," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    12. Roch Millogo & Clémentine Rossier, 2022. "Fertility Transition in Dakar, Nairobi, and Ouagadougou Since the 1970s: An Identical Reduction at All Ages Through Modern Contraception?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(5), pages 2115-2142, October.
    13. Endale Kebede, 2019. "The Relative Importance of Female Education on Fertility Desires in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Multi-Level Analysis," VID Working Papers 1909, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna.
    14. Véronique Dagenais-Desmarais & André Savoie, 2012. "What is Psychological Well-Being, Really? A Grassroots Approach from the Organizational Sciences," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 659-684, August.
    15. Petra Rattay & Elena von der Lippe, 2020. "Association between Living with Children and the Health and Health Behavior of Women and Men. Are There Differences by Age? Results of the “German Health Update” (GEDA) Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-19, May.
    16. Amanda Selin & Stephanie M. DeLong & Aimée Julien & Catherine MacPhail & Rhian Twine & James P. Hughes & Yaw Agyei & Erica L. Hamilton & Kathleen Kahn & Audrey Pettifor, 2019. "Prevalence and Associations, by Age Group, of IPV Among AGYW in Rural South Africa," SAGE Open, , vol. 9(1), pages 21582440198, February.
    17. Matthias Pollmann-Schult, 2018. "Parenthood and Life Satisfaction in Europe: The Role of Family Policies and Working Time Flexibility," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 34(3), pages 387-411, August.
    18. Sara J Shuman & Kathryn L Falb & Lauren F Cardoso & Heather Cole & Denise Kpebo & Jhumka Gupta, 2016. "Perceptions and Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(6), pages 1-12, June.
    19. Grimm, Michael, 2016. "Rainfall Risk and Fertility: Evidence from Farm Settlements during the American Demographic Transition," IZA Discussion Papers 10351, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    20. Oryoie, Ali Reza & Alwang, Jeffrey & Tideman, Nicolaus, 2017. "Child Labor and Household Land Holding: Theory and Empirical Evidence from Zimbabwe," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 45-58.

    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:spr:jhappi:v:20:y:2019:i:5:d:10.1007_s10902-018-0017-9. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.