Harmonised households: The implications of standardised data tools for understanding intergenerational relations

This study investigates whether the term 'household' as used in household surveys generates misunderstandings between and within cultural and linguistic contexts, because diverse groups with distinctive understandings of the concept are unaware that others may be using the same term differently. It uses the lens of intergenerational relations to examine whether survey respondents and users of household statistics consider households in terms of diverse exchanges and responsibilities between individuals linked through emotion and affection in ways which differ from the 'statistical household' used in surveys. This will enable an evaluation of the validity of 'statistical households' in terms of the concept's ability to represent functional social solidarity and support.
Detailed qualitative profiles of household membership including absent members, living arrangements and extra household support and resources will be collected by a collaborative African-European research team in England, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Uganda (in France an existing study will be re-analysed). In-depth interviews will be undertaken in each country with data producers and users around their understanding and use of household survey data. Pairwise analyses will be undertaken within and between linguistic traditions, developed and developing contexts, between political ideologies informing data collection and within-region comparisons in Africa.