Demography and stepfamilies among the Chabu of southwestern Ethiopia

The Chabu were mobile hunter-gatherers until they were exposed to extensive farming and a market economy in the 1990s. Like many other hunter-gatherers, they live in small groups or bands in extended families. Extensive sharing of food and childcare (alloparenting) is common in their social lives. Chabu demographic features include lower fertility and higher mortality rates compared to neighbouring farming communities. A high divorce rate characterises Chabu marriage; adults often marry three to four times in their lifetime. Following divorce or the death of a husband, a woman usually moves back to her family’s village until she remarries. Most children of divorced couples live with a remarried parent and step-parent, while others choose to reside with the relatives of their parents. Hence, many Chabu children grow up with non-genetic caregivers, including those in stepfamilies. This research note examines Chabu’s demographic and sociocultural features as they relate to the prevalence of diverse forms of stepfamilies and stepchildren relationships.