The Effects of Economic Crises on Families Caring for Children: Understanding and Reducing Long-Term Consequences.

摘要

This article examines case examples of some of the consequences for children and families of average and severe economic and social disruptions, including the economic losses, and failure of social supports during the transition after perestroika in Russia, the experience of poor families during economic retrenchment in Mexico, the massive asset loss in the capital of Honduras after a natural disaster, the dramatic economic contraction in Vietnam after the war, and the impact of the AIDS pandemic on both economic and social institutions in Botswana. It then considers social supports which have made a difference in acting as a buffer against the effect of economic downturns, drawing on primary data from in-depth interviews with 2,000 families around the world, survey data on 55,000 households, and analysis of policies in all 192 members of the United Nations.