Ethnographic research on childcare has focused on understanding the influence of cultural contexts on childcare. The research, however, lacks discussions of a child's caregiver as a position of power, and analysis of the knowledge underpinning childcare. Consequently, much remains unknown about the adults responsible for childcare, the significance of their roles, and the values that shape their actions. This paper analyzes how the meanings embedded within the position of “child's caregiver” and the narratives around the position influence childcare practices in Manya Klo, Ghana. The findings suggest that research has overlooked the influence of power in analyses of childcare roles and identifying children's caregivers. The findings challenge the use of female household headship, direct observation of parent–child contact, provision of material goods, and fathers’ absence as bases for determining children's caregivers. The differences in the meanings of childcare concepts create different expectations for local communities and external agencies that support children.

中文翻译：

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父权制加纳社会的儿童保育权力：对儿童保育研究与实践的启示

关于儿童保育的人种学研究集中在理解文化背景对儿童保育的影响。然而，该研究缺乏对儿童看护者作为权力地位的讨论，也缺乏对作为托儿基础的知识的分析。因此，对于负责育儿的成年人，其角色的重要性以及影响其行为的价值观，人们仍然知之甚少。本文分析了“儿童保姆”的立场中所含的含义以及围绕该立场的叙述如何影响加纳Manya Klo的儿童保育实践。研究结果表明，研究在分析保育角色和确定儿童的照料者时忽略了权力的影响。调查结果对使用女性户主，直接观察亲子接触，提供物质物品，并以父亲的缺勤作为确定儿童照料者的基础。育儿概念含义上的差异为当地社区和支持儿童的外部机构带来了不同的期望。