Exploring the influence of household internal migration and parents’ main livelihood activities on children’s occupational aspirations in Ghana

Abstract

Background: Although individuals and entire households engage in internal migration in Ghana, the literature mostly focuses on individual migration. The main objective of this paper is to explore the influence of household internal migration and parents’ main livelihood activities on children’s occupational aspirations.Methods: This paper draws on data collected from study sites in Ghana as part of a larger research project on Children Mobility and Transport in Sub-Saharan Africa (which took place in Ghana, Malawi and South Africa). During the project survey questionnaire, a total of 125 children and young people aged between 8 and 18 years were interviewed within urban, peri-urban, rural and remote rural sites in two agro-ecological zones in Ghana (eight sites in total). Additionally, the paper draws on qualitative research undertaken in the project in all sites using individual interviews and focus group discussions with key informants, parents and children. Results: The main motives of household internal migration among study participants were economic and social. While parents were mostly engaged in agriculture, their children generally aspired to non-agricultural occupations based on their interests, capabilities and perceptions. The children in both rural and urban areas aspired for occupations of fairly similar status.Conclusions: Children’s occupational aspirations are shaped by exogenous and not endogenous factors from their parents but their aspirations in both rural and urban areas are fairly similar. The paper has implications for career counseling at home and in school as well as the National Youth and Employment Programme (NYEP) in Ghana.