The Gift of Agency: Sexual Exchange Scripts among Nigerian Youth

Abstract

This article examines the practice of directly exchanging goods for sexual intercourse using data from 36 focus-group discussions with youth living in rural southern Nigeria. Conceptualizing this practice as a sexual script, the authors conduct a deductive thematic analysis framed by the broader context in which sexual exchange occurs. Combining scripting theory with an analysis of the form of the payment, it was found that the cultural script of exchange supports girls’ agency. However, at the interpersonal level of practice, this script often loses out in conflict with the cultural scripting of male control. The shape of this practice is influenced by intrapsychic scripts (e.g., sexual violence is an option), interpersonal resources (e.g., family money), and cultural scripts (e.g., stuff and status bring friends). In the final analysis, sexual exchange is found to be a script that both enables and restricts agency. It is a power niche for those with limited social and economic power, enabling them to seek and access material goods, social status, and sexual experience. It is also a means of coercing unwanted sex via peer and parental pressure, poverty, and a context of gender inequality. Implications for HIV prevention are discussed.

Acknowledgments

This project was funded as part of the Teasdale-Corti Team grants of the Global Health Research Initiative (www.ghri.ca) and administered by the International Research and Development Center, Canada. Data collection and data capture were under the direction of project staff: Johnson Dudu, Project Administrator; Eloho Tobrisse, Communications Coordinator and Qualitative Research Team Leader; Solomon Oshodin, Research Coordinator; and Emmanuel Ideh, Job Eronhomsele. Many thanks to the Ministry of Education of Edo State that gave us permission to conduct research in state schools; to school principals, teachers, and community leaders who gave us access to research sites; and to the students who participated. This article reports part of Jessica Penwell Barnett's Master's thesis research, conducted under the supervision of Eleanor Maticka-Tyndale, and enriched by the comments provided by Francisca Isi Omorodion and Betty Jo Barrett. This article was also enriched by the comments of our anonymous journal reviewers. Thank you.

Notes

¹HIV Prevention for Rural Youth (i.e., HP4RY), Nigeria team members are Adenike Esiet, Dr. Eleanor Maticka-Tyndale, and Dr. Andrew Onokerhoraye (co-principal investigators), Drs. Uzo Anucha, Robert Arnold, Nombuso Dlamini, Kokunre Eghafona, Isaac Luginaah, Friday Okonofua, Felicia Okoro, Uyi Oni-Ekhosuehi, and Francisca Omorodion.