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Cameroon definitions [message #1147] Mon, 13 January 2014 14:09 Go to next message
adi.greif@yale.edu is currently offline  adi.greif@yale.edu
Messages: 5
Registered: May 2013
Member
Hi,
For the Cameroon 2004 DHS some women are coded as wives, and some are coded as heads of household - and the two categories seem to be mutually exclusive. Why is that? From my understanding of Cameroon, there are women who are heads of the household while their husbands are away working. I can't find any explanation of the definition for 'head of household' in the report.

Thank you
Re: Cameroon definitions [message #1175 is a reply to message #1147] Thu, 16 January 2014 09:07 Go to previous message
Liz-DHS
Messages: 1516
Registered: February 2013
Senior Member
Dear User,
Here is a response from one our experts, Han Raggers:

"The person who is identified as the head of the household has to be someone who usually lives in the household. This person may be acknowledged as the head on the basis of age (older), sex (generally, but not necessarily, male), economic status (main provider), or some other reason. It is up to the respondent to define who heads the household."

This means that the head of the household can be a woman or a man. If a woman is coded as head of the household her husband (if any) would be coded as spouse (code 2). If the man was considered head of the household the woman, if married to the head, would be coded as 2 spouse. Please note that all relationship codes in the household listing refer to the head of the household and as such the head is central in determining kinship structures in the household.

If this has not answered your question adequately, please reply

Thank you!
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