Revisiting the Source of Family Income: The Economic Value of Children for Farmer Labour Family in Indonesia

Abstract

The economic value of children is high in a poor family. Therefore, the more children they have, the better the economic condition will be. While for families with high economical condition, the social and psychological values of children are emerged. This study is aiming at revisiting the believe that for poor family, the children are serve as the source of the family income instead of the source of family pride. The study is conducted to search what the value of children for the farmer labour family is. The method used is qualitative approach to families working as farmer labour at Cirebon Municipality. The result shows that although the farmer labour families are categorized as poor families, they valued their children as the source of security for them in the future. The informants believed that their children will do better than them and encourage the children to achieve higher education instead of forcing the children to work and earn a living. Therefore, this study has shown the contrary to the first believe that for poor family, the economic value of children is high. The study found that the social psychological values of children are emerged in the poor farmer labour family.