Ugandan Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward, and Shared Activities with, Same- and Other-Gender Peers and Friends

• In Event: Gender today: Advances in the gendered nature of children’s and adolescents’ peer relationships

Abstract

Most studies examining gender segregation, peer relationships, and activity engagement have been conducted in North America and Europe (e.g., Martin et al., 2013; Mehta & Strough, 2009; Poulin & Pedersen, 2007; Zosuls et al., 2011). Few studies of friendship have been conducted in Africa, and virtually no studies exist in sub-Saharan Africa, on gender segregation, gender attitudes, and shared activities in the context of friendships. This study extends this body of work to the sub-Saharan African context of Uganda by investigating the gender composition of friends of adolescents, as well as adolescents’ attitudes about, and activities with, same- and other-gender peers and friends.
Adolescents (N = 202; 99 girls, 84 boys, 19 missing) were recruited from three schools in Eastern Uganda (participation rates > 90%). Participants were on average 14.26 years old (SD = 1.65, range = 11 to 17; 15 missing) and from over 20 tribes, most commonly Iteso (n = 59), Jopadhola (n = 30), and Luhya (n = 24). Adolescents answered questionnaire items and open-ended questions about the gender composition of friends and attitudes about, and activities with, same- and other-gender peers and friends. Adolescents answered two closed-ended questions about the gender composition of their friends (e.g., “How would you describe your friends outside of school?”); 14 closed-ended questions about their attitudes about same- and other-gender peers (e.g., “Do boys generally make you feel happy?”); two open-ended questions about their attitudes about being friends with same- and other-gender peers (e.g., “If you are a girl, write your feelings and thoughts about being friends with other girls” and “If you are a boy, write your feelings and thoughts about being friends with boys.”); 25 closed-ended questions about activities they may engage in with same- and other-gender friends (e.g., “Please indicate if you do each action with your friends who are girls, with your friends who are boys, with both friends who are boys and with friends who are girls, or neither [if you do not do the action with your friends]; fetch water together, sing together); and, adolescents could list any additional activities (i.e., activities not listed in the closed-ended survey) they only did with friends who are boys, friends who are girls, and with both boys and girls.
Findings were analyzed via descriptive statistics, t-tests, and chi-square analyses, and qualitative coding. Adolescents’ friendships were somewhat gender segregated, although other-gender friendships were present. Positive attitudes about same- and other-gender peers and friends were prevalent. Girls and boys displayed similar attitudes about same- and other-gender peers, with the exception of boys reporting more positive attitudes toward boys. Adolescents enjoyed the following aspects of same- and other-gender friendships: talking about problems, receiving help, sharing items and activities, receiving advice about romance and puberty, and receiving help with schoolwork. Adolescents engaged with mixed-gender peers for most shared activities, although gender segregation was present for certain activities. Results may inform programs that support positive peer interactions among youth in sub-Saharan Africa by synthesizing the attitudes of adolescents most impacted by these programs.

Authors

• Flora Farago, Stephen F. Autstin University
  Presenting Author

• Jingyi Xu, Arizona State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Natalie D. Eggum, Arizona State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Linlin Zhang, Capital Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Danming An, Lehigh University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Eunjung Kim, Arizona State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Emily Adams, Stephen F. Austin State University
  Non-Presenting Author