Parenting Arrangements of Young Mothers and Fathers in South Africa: How Important Are Consanguineous and Conjugal Ties?

Shelley Clark, McGill University
Cassandra Cotton, McGill University
Leticia J. Marteleto, University of Texas at Austin

This paper takes a close look at the parenting arrangements of young mothers and fathers in urban South Africa, paying special attention to the relative importance of consanguineous versus conjugal ties in determining where children live and the support they receive from their fathers. Drawing on rich longitudinal data, we find that young women’s union status has very little impact on whether she lives with her child. Instead, women’s ties to their natal homes have the strongest effect. In contrast, whether young men co-reside with their children is almost entirely determined by their conjugal relationships. However, when we consider father’s financial support of their non-residential children a different pattern emerges. Fathers’ relationship with the child’s mother has little effect, while his economic circumstances are strong predictors. These findings confirm the importance of matrilineal ties in determining children’s residence, but also challenge assumptions about so-called “absent” fathers.