Bio-social roles in peasant small ruminant production : the importance of children and women in secondary economic activities

According to this study, previous research suffered from the lack of an appropriate methodology and theoretical base. For this study, researchers used participant observation, as opposed to surveys, in order to see firsthand the specific activities and time allocations of each household member. Observations from 24 peasant households in two different areas of Indonesia reveal that women in general, and adult women in particular, actually play a minor role in small ruminant production, which is seen as a secondary economic activity and is usually entrusted to children, especially the young males. By contrast, adults, both women and men, spend the greatest proportion of their time in primary economic activities.