IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v354y2024ics0277953624005318.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Kinship, lineage resources (wealth flow transfers), and intimate partner violence among women in Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Tenkorang, Eric Y.

Abstract

Previous research has established relationships between lineage and intimate partner violence (IPV). The findings suggest matrilineal women experience less IPV than patrilineal women. However, the IPV outcomes of bilateral women are unknown because of the limited operationalization of lineage with ethnicity. In our study, we used self-reported and multidimensional measures of lineage to explore its relationship with IPV, focusing particularly on the mechanisms linking the two. We hypothesized that wielding resources would be negatively associated with IPV. Furthermore, matrilineal women's access to lineage resources would reduce their vulnerability to IPV relative to patrilineal women. To examine these hypotheses, we collected data from 1700 ever-married Ghanaian women residing in three ecological zones (coastal, middle, northern). Path analysis was used to explore resources as mechanisms linking lineage and IPV. Our findings indicated resources were patterned by lineage. Matrilineal women benefitted more from maternal family members than patrilineal women and vice versa. Consistent with the standard resource theory, women's access to resources protected against IPV, and the effects were stronger for matrilineal than patrilineal women. Irrespective of how lineage was measured, matrilineal women experienced lower levels of IPV than patrilineal women. The IPV outcomes for bilateral women were mixed. Part of matrilineal women's reduced IPV risk was explained through access to maternal resources. While patrilineal women experienced higher levels of IPV, this was reversed with resources from paternal kin members. Our findings suggest that as resources are fundamental to reducing IPV, lineage can serve as a conduit for resource exchange and wealth transfer.

Suggested Citation

  • Tenkorang, Eric Y., 2024. "Kinship, lineage resources (wealth flow transfers), and intimate partner violence among women in Ghana," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 354(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:354:y:2024:i:c:s0277953624005318
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117078
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953624005318
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117078?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. Muluken Dessalegn Muluneh & Virginia Stulz & Lyn Francis & Kingsley Agho, 2020. "Gender Based Violence against Women in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cross-Sectional Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-21, February.
    2. Jacob Moscona & Nathan Nunn & James A. Robinson, 2017. "Keeping It in the Family: Lineage Organization and the Scope of Trust in Sub-Saharan Africa," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(5), pages 565-571, May.
    3. Edward Kutsoati & Randall Morck, 2014. "Family Ties, Inheritance Rights, and Successful Poverty Alleviation: Evidence from Ghana," NBER Chapters, in: African Successes, Volume II: Human Capital, pages 215-252, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Cools, Sara & Kotsadam, Andreas, 2017. "Resources and Intimate Partner Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 211-230.
    5. Geoffrey M. Hodgson, 2014. "What is capital? Economists and sociologists have changed its meaning: should it be changed back?," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 38(5), pages 1063-1086.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Marco Colagrossi & Claudio Deiana & Andrea Geraci & Ludovica Giua, 2022. "Hang up on stereotypes: Domestic violence and an anti‐abuse helpline campaign," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 40(4), pages 585-611, October.
    2. Bennett, Patrick & Ravetti, Chiara & Wong, Po Yin, 2021. "Losing in a boom: Long-term consequences of a local economic shock for female labour market outcomes," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    3. Pierfrancesco Rolla & Patricia Justino, 2022. "The social consequences of organized crime in Italy," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-106, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Anders Kjelsrud & Kristin Vikan Sjurgard, 2022. "Public Work and Private Violence," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(9), pages 1791-1806, September.
    5. Rossi, Enrico, 2020. "Reconsidering the dual nature of property rights: personal property and capital in the law and economics of property rights," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 105840, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Sara Lowes & Etienne Le Rossignol, 2022. "Ancestral Livelihoods and Moral Universalism: Evidence from Transhumant Pastoralist Societies," Working Papers hal-04083412, HAL.
    7. Matteo Sestito, 2023. "Identity conflict, ethnocentrism and social cohesion," AMSE Working Papers 2304, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    8. Remi Jedwab & Felix Meier zu Selhausen & Alexander Moradi, 2022. "The economics of missionary expansion: evidence from Africa and implications for development," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 149-192, June.
    9. Jessica Penwell Barnett & Eleanor Maticka‐Tyndale, 2023. "‘Money is what makes you to be called a man.’: The interaction of resource access and gender norms in shaping intimate partner violence in urban slums," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(7), pages 1942-1961, October.
    10. Voigt, Stefan, 2022. "Determinant of Social Norms," ILE Working Paper Series 58, University of Hamburg, Institute of Law and Economics.
    11. Ana Tur-Prats, 2017. "Unemployment and intimate-partner violence: A gender-identity approach," Economics Working Papers 1564, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    12. Guimbeau, Amanda & Ji, Xinde James & Menon, Nidhiya, 2024. "Climate Shocks, Intimate Partner Violence, and the Protective Role of Climate-Resilience Projects," IZA Discussion Papers 17529, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/76npisrda99aop75h6fmi4vduu is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Rocha, Fabiana & Diaz, Maria Dolores Montoya & Pereda, Paula Carvalho & Árabe, Isadora Bousquat & Cavalcanti, Filipe & Lordemus, Samuel & Kreif, Noemi & Moreno-Serra, Rodrigo, 2024. "COVID-19 and violence against women: Current knowledge, gaps, and implications for public policy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    15. 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.
    16. Cagé, Julia & Rueda, Valeria, 2020. "Sex and the mission: the conflicting effects of early Christian missions on HIV in sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 86(3), pages 213-257, September.
    17. Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay & Sanjukta Sarkar & Rudra Sensarma, 2021. "Does Access to Key Household Resources Help in Reducing Violence against Women?," Discussion Papers 21-09, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.
    18. Bau, Natalie, 2019. "Can Policy Change Culture? Government Pension Plans and Traditional Kinship Practices," CEPR Discussion Papers 13486, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    19. Ackah, Josephine Akua & Sear, Rebecca & McLean, Estelle & Awusabo-Asare, Kofi & Hassan, Anushé & Achana, Fabian Sebastian & Walters, Sarah, 2025. "Household structure in Ghana: Exploring dynamics over three decades," OSF Preprints 7dhqr, Center for Open Science.
    20. González, Libertad & Rodríguez-Planas, Núria, 2020. "Gender norms and intimate partner violence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 223-248.
    21. Lilia Costabile, 2015. "A note on Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century and its critics," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 32(3), pages 377-385, December.

    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:354:y:2024:i:c:s0277953624005318. 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.