Social Exclusion and Inclusion

One of the major effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Malawi as in sub-Saharan African in general is the rising number of orphans. Development practitioners and scholars interested in the topic argue that there is a total breakdown in family structures and social support systems. Safety nets are col...

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Main Author: Wiseman Chijere Chirwa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nordic Africa Research Network 2002-03-01
Series:Nordic Journal of African Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.njas.fi/njas/article/view/366
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author Wiseman Chijere Chirwa
author_facet Wiseman Chijere Chirwa
author_sort Wiseman Chijere Chirwa
collection DOAJ
description One of the major effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Malawi as in sub-Saharan African in general is the rising number of orphans. Development practitioners and scholars interested in the topic argue that there is a total breakdown in family structures and social support systems. Safety nets are collapsing and increasing numbers of orphaned children are becoming destitute. This paper argues that granted the social strains caused by the effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, families and social support systems are developing adaptive capabilities with varying degrees of success and failure. New strategies are adopted while others are abandoned. There are many conceptions of orphanhood depending on an individual's social and economic position. The size of the family in which the orphans are found, the ages and gender of the orphaned children, the number(s) of losses of the family members, and the economic status of the care givers all have a bearing on the success or failure of the orphan care system.
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spelling doaj.art-3a15fa6bf1ed44ac90e9424f8c2e21a42023-09-03T13:15:35ZengNordic Africa Research NetworkNordic Journal of African Studies1459-94652002-03-0111110.53228/njas.v11i1.366Social Exclusion and InclusionWiseman Chijere Chirwa0University of Malawi, Malawi One of the major effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Malawi as in sub-Saharan African in general is the rising number of orphans. Development practitioners and scholars interested in the topic argue that there is a total breakdown in family structures and social support systems. Safety nets are collapsing and increasing numbers of orphaned children are becoming destitute. This paper argues that granted the social strains caused by the effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, families and social support systems are developing adaptive capabilities with varying degrees of success and failure. New strategies are adopted while others are abandoned. There are many conceptions of orphanhood depending on an individual's social and economic position. The size of the family in which the orphans are found, the ages and gender of the orphaned children, the number(s) of losses of the family members, and the economic status of the care givers all have a bearing on the success or failure of the orphan care system. https://www.njas.fi/njas/article/view/366orphan careorphanhood
spellingShingle Wiseman Chijere Chirwa
Social Exclusion and Inclusion
Nordic Journal of African Studies
orphan care
orphanhood
title Social Exclusion and Inclusion
title_full Social Exclusion and Inclusion
title_fullStr Social Exclusion and Inclusion
title_full_unstemmed Social Exclusion and Inclusion
title_short Social Exclusion and Inclusion
title_sort social exclusion and inclusion
topic orphan care
orphanhood
url https://www.njas.fi/njas/article/view/366
work_keys_str_mv AT wisemanchijerechirwa socialexclusionandinclusion