Household Task Delegation among High-Fertility Forager-Horticulturalists of Lowland Bolivia

Abstract

Human kin cooperation is universal, leading researchers to label humans as “cooperative breeders.” Despite widespread interest in human cooperation, there has been no systematic study of how household economic decision making occurs. We document age and sex profiles of task delegation by parents to children ages 4–18 among Bolivian forager-horticulturalists. We test for sex differences in the probability of delegation and examine whether tasks are more likely delegated as household labor demand increases. We also test whether food acquisition tasks are more likely delegated to higher producers. We find mixed support for the prediction that girls are more likely delegated domestic and alloparenting tasks than boys (n = 173 children). Both sexes are more likely delegated tasks during rice harvest months; number of coresident young children is also associated with greater probability of delegated allocare, although the effect retains significance for girls only. For both sexes, father absence is associated with greater probability of delegation, particularly for food acquisition tasks. Children delegated rice harvesting achieve 45% higher mean daily caloric returns from harvesting than children not delegated harvesting. Our results therefore suggest that delegation increases household economic efficiency. We find mixed support for the hypothesis that delegation prepares children for sex-specific adult roles.

Children as a Reserve Labor Force

“…de Suremain also calls attention to the complex ethical and moral quagmire created by the employment of children-domestically or at a distance. But my position is that the "call-up" of children from their reserve position implies a temporary or at least contingent set of circumstances (Stieglitz et al 2013) that is not the normal state of affairs. The default status of children as workers is that they exercise agency in what they choose to learn, whether through emulation or play, and that they are able to learn at their own pace without the oppressive effects of teaching: "Children did not evolve to sit quietly at desks in age-segregated classrooms being instructed by unrelated and unfamiliar adults" (Bjorklund 2007b:120).…”

“…In India, an increase in wages paid to children is associated with decreased leisure for both boys and girls (Skoufias 1994:346). As time for play is reduced, opportunities to develop social interaction skills and build peer networks may be reduced (Greve, Thomsen, and Dehio 2014;Lancy and Grove 2011b;Stieglitz et al 2013). Older children employed outside the home may have more limited exposure (at a critical age) to parenting strategies, weakening their preparedness as effective parents.…”

“…Some forms of food acquisition require great skill (honey collection), strength (bow-hunting), or dexterity. Additionally, I think the data is bound to be noisy as it is hard to separate out the child's productivity during unguided, unsupervised "helping" and their productivity in involuntary chore assignments (Stieglitz et al 2013). Both the Aka and the !Kung are noted for exempting children from making any substantial contributions toward provisioning themselves and others, and yet cases are reported in both societies of voluntary self-provisioning (Boyette 2013;Howell 2010).…”

Children as a Reserve Labor Force

“…In India, an increase in wages paid to children is associated with decreased leisure for both boys and girls (Skoufias 1994: 346). As time for play is reduced, opportunities to develop social interaction skill and build peer networks may be reduced (Greve, Thomsen and Dehio 2014;Lancy and Grove 2011b;Stieglitz et al 2013). Older children employed outside the home may have more limited exposure (at a critical age) to parenting strategies, weakening their preparedness as effective parents.…”

New Studies of Children's Work, Acquisition of Critical Skills, and Contribution to the Domestic Economy

“…Chores may be adopted voluntarily by children or assigned by a parent (Stieglitz et al. ). From toddlers to teenagers, children are expected to help out according to their capacity and skill.…”