Abstract
In this brief review of the emergence and use of the concept of 'female-headed households', this chapter draws on a burgeoning literature as well as the author's own research experience in Botswana and, currently, in Malawi. The concept of the 'female-headed' household' emerged in the course of the feminist critique of an ungendered analysis and practice of 'economic development'. The insights from the lines of research have influenced the way in which 'female-headed households' are understood in the context of past and contemporary political economies and cultures. A primary contribution of the concern with 'female-headed households' has been to reveal the problems of abstract, un-situated concepts used in research and policy formulation. The phenomenon of the 'female-headed household' may differ in significance over space and time for the persons within it and for the society in question. To address 'intra-household' relations, both men and women adults must be interviewed.
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