Durham E-Theses Understanding Child Prostitution in Malawi: A Participatory Approach NKHOMA, PEARSON How to cite: NKHOMA, PEARSON (2017) Understanding Child Prostitution in Malawi: A Participatory Approach, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/12089/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Understanding Child Prostitution in Malawi: A Participatory Approach Pearson Nkhoma School of Applied Social Sciences Thesis submitted to Durham University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy October 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................. i List of Illustrations & Photos ......................................................................................................... iv Figures......................................................................................................................................... v List of Photos .............................................................................................................................. v Participants’ Pen Portrait ............................................................................................................ v List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. v Declaration & Statement of Copyright ......................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... viii Dedication ....................................................................................................................................... x Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... xi Chapter One: Child Prostitution: A Topic of Global Concern ....................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Child Prostitution: A Global Concern................................................................................... 3 1.3 Problematizing Child Prostitution....................................................................................... 10 1.4 Research Objectives, Research Questions and Researcher Positionality ........................... 13 1.4.1 Research Objectives and Questions ............................................................................. 13 1.4.2 Researcher Positionality............................................................................................... 14 1.5 Summary and Thesis Outline .............................................................................................. 16 Chapter Two: Study Context - Malawi ......................................................................................... 18 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Malawi – Overview of a Developing Country .................................................................... 18 2.3 Cultural Context .................................................................................................................. 21 2.3.1 Impact on Education .................................................................................................... 22 2.3.2 Impact on Health .......................................................................................................... 25 2.4 Parental Death and ‘AIDS Orphans’................................................................................... 26 2.5 Efforts to End Child Marriage ............................................................................................ 28 2.6 Power Relations .................................................................................................................. 29 2.6.1 Unequal Gender Power Relations ................................................................................ 29 2.6.2 Unequal Adult/Child Power Dynamics ....................................................................... 30 2.7 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 31 Chapter Three: Theoretical Perspectives on Child Prostitution .................................................... 33 i 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 33 3.2 The Children’s Rights Framework...................................................................................... 33 3.2.1 The Construction of Child Prostitution as Sexual Abuse ............................................ 34 3.2.2 Children Forced into Prostitution................................................................................. 38 3.2.3 Gaps within the Children’s Rights Approach to Child Prostitution ............................ 48 3.3 Feminist Perspectives on Prostitution ................................................................................. 57 3.3.1 Responses to the Moralist View: Prostitution as Immoral and a Social Problem ....... 57 3.3.2 Radical Feminist View: Prostitution as Male Violence and Commercial Sexual Exploitation ........................................................................................................................... 59 3.3.3 Liberal Feminist View: Prostitution as Agency ........................................................... 63 3.4 Structural Perspectives ........................................................................................................ 68 3.5 The Capability Approach .................................................................................................... 74 3.5.1 Central Capabilities ...................................................................................................... 75 3.5.2 Critiques of the Capability Approach & Rationale for a Multi-Dimensional Approach to Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 79 3.6 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 84 Chapter Four: Research Design and Methodology ....................................................................... 85 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 85 4.2 Qualitative Methodology and a Participatory Research Framework .................................. 86 4.3 Research Design.................................................................................................................. 90 4.3.1 Accessing Participants ................................................................................................. 91 4.3.2 Involving Female Researchers ..................................................................................... 94 4.3.3 Making Contact, Negotiating Participation & Documenting Consent ........................ 97 4.4 Data Collection Methods and Techniques ........................................................................ 103 4.4.1 Photovoice.................................................................................................................. 105 4.4.2 Character Drawing ..................................................................................................... 110 4.4.3 Problem Tree .............................................................................................................. 113 4.4.4 Storyboarding ............................................................................................................. 116 4.4.5 Paper Cutting and Ranking ........................................................................................ 117 4.4.6 Narrative Interviews and Group Discussions ............................................................ 120 4.4.7 Participants’ Feedback on Methods ........................................................................... 122 4.4.8 Semi-Structured Interviews ....................................................................................... 124 4.5 Reflecting on Fieldwork: Ethics and Keeping Participants Safe ...................................... 125 4.6 Data Analysis: A Multi-Theoretical Approach ................................................................. 131 4.7 Summary ..........................................................................................................................