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Population Studies

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Browsing Population Studies by Author "Casale, Daniela Maria."

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    An analysis of the extent of migration and its impacts on the sending household in a rural area in South Africa.
    (2014) Dzomba, Armstrong.; Casale, Daniela Maria.
    The aim of this study is to analyse the extent and nature of labour migration and its impacts on the sending households in a rural area in South Africa, namely Agincourt, Mpumalanga. This is achieved through a quantitative analysis of a cross-sectional dataset from the 2007 temporary migration module of the Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System. Results indicate that most temporary migration in this area is related to the need to work elsewhere, i.e. labour migration, and that labour migrants are more likely to be men rather than women. Consistent with expectations, temporary labour migrants appear to maintain close ties with sending households, evidenced in three key features of migrants` behaviour, namely: method of communication with the household; pattern of return; and propensity to remit cash and goods to the household of origin. A number of the factors investigated here differ by the gender of the migrant, and whether children were left behind in the household by the migrant. The effect of labour migration on additional household composition changes, such as the co-migration of children, appears negligible in this sample, contrary to expectations. Interestingly, the study finds that a large percentage of migrants leave children behind in the sending households, and that more female migrants compared to male migrants leave behind at least one child in the household. These children tend to be cared for within the household by another female relative. These findings underscore the need for more inter-disciplinary and in-depth research on labour migration, yielding more refined results particularly on the impact of migration on the health and well-being of children left in the sending household.
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    Computer literacy, employment and earnings : a cross-sectional study on South Africa using the National Income Dynamics Study 2008.
    (2013) Govindasamy, Preston-Lee.; Casale, Daniela Maria.
    In this study I explore the extent of computer literacy in South Africa, the correlates of computer literacy, and the relationship between computer literacy and labour market outcomes, namely the probability of employment and earnings among working-age South Africans. I use data from the first wave of the National Income Dynamics Panel survey of 2008, the first national household survey to collect information on computer skills. This study focuses on computer literacy as it has become an integral skill in today’s world of fast technological change. Understanding the unequal distribution of this form of human capital and the benefits it affords those in the labour market, is important particularly in South Africa, where there is a growing gap between the rich and the poor. I find that the distribution of computer skills in South Africa tends to mirror existing inequalities; females, Africans, those with low levels of schooling and those living outside of formal urban areas, for instance, are less likely to be computer literate. Further, I find that there is a positive association between computer literacy and the probability of employment among working-age adults, and a positive relationship between computer literacy and earnings among the employed in South Africa. These associations hold after controlling for a variety of demographic, human capital, family background, and in the case of the earnings regressions, job characteristics. The results also suggest that, as would be expected, those who are highly computer literate do better than those who have basic use skills. I also consider the limitations of my methods and the data I use, and the implications of the results for education and skills development policy in South Africa.