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Understanding Livelihoods: Concepts and

Theory

Conceptualizing Livelihoods

Lecture 2

July 21, 2014

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What do we need to lead a good life

Basic needs (food, clothing,shelter)

Physical and Mental Health

Quality Education

Access to infrastructure

Access to health services,

drinking water, sanitation

Security

Insurance

Income generating

opportunities

Jobs Regular and increasing

income

Money

Dignity

Religion Social networksfamily etc

Good governance

Options, choices, freedom

Natural resources

Access to natural resources

Skills, capabilities

Political Freedom

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What do we need to lead a good life

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Physical needs Rights Health &Education

Basic needs (food, clothing,

shelter)

Quality Education Physical and

Mental Health

Income generating

opportunities

Access to infrastructure

Jobs Access to health services,

drinking water, sanitation

Regular and increasing income Dignity

Religion

Security

Money Insurance

Natural resources Good governance

Access to natural resources

Skills, capabilities

Political Freedom

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Another question

What do we need to be able to work?

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What do we need to be able to work

Micro-level

Assets, skills / capabilities

Networks

Freedom / choice

Dignity

Macro - level

Assets, Access to assets

Networks

Environment that enables access,

ensures that there are options,

freedom, dignity

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What do we need to be able to work and lead a

good life

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Risks, Vulnerability

Assets

Money, jewelry, cattle,

Buildings, machinery,

roads, transportation,

energy, information etc Land, rivers, forests,

water, etc

Family, friends,

relatives, networks

Health, Education,

skills, ability to work -

Capabilities

Enabling structures and

processes

Laws, Policies

Governance

Levels of government Culturesocietal

norms and beliefs

Institutions and

Organizations

Rights & Claims

Livelihood strategies Livelihood outcomes

Poor

Househol

d

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Scoones framework (1998, 2009)

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Thats what Livelihoods is all about!

Understanding Livelihoods is common sense!

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Course Map

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Introduction to livelihoodsConceptualizing

Livelihoods

Economics models of decision making

Gender and power relationshipsHouseholds

Social Exclusion, Deprivation

Persistence of PovertyPoverty

Difference between risk and vulnerability

Impact on livelihoods, coping strategiesRisk and Vulnerability

Categories of Capital Conversion

Transformation and Substitutability

Forms of Capital

Role of Institutions

Organizational FormsInstitutions and Forms of

Organizations How physical geography influences

livelihoods

Globalization, Urbanization and changes in

livelihoods

Livelihoods in transition

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"A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets (

including both material and social resources) and

activitiesrequired for a means of living. A livelihood is

sustainablewhen it copes with and recovers from

stresses and shocks and maintain or enhance its

capabilities and assets both now and in the future, while

not undermining the natural resource base.

(DFIDs definition adapted from Chambers & Conway 1992)

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Defining Livelihood

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EVOLUTION OF THELIVELIHOODS PERSPECTIVE

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Conventional approaches

Production thinking

Employment thinking

Poverty-line thinking

Livelihoods perspective

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Economics is embedded in the society

Vidal de la Blache (1911)

relationship between humans and their natural environment.

the livelihood pattern of people living in a geographical area was to a great

extent shaped by the possibilities that the area offered.

Same environment leads to different responses from different people

based on their genre de vie.

Pritchard (1940)

Interrelations between social and political systems explored

The term livelihood is used to refer to the economic resources and

strategies employed by people to make a living

Polanyi (1944)

Market economy and state linked to each other

To make a living, one needs to engage with market state and society

Theoretical foundations for livelihoods 13

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Household as a decision making unit, multiple

economic activities

Baerwald (1955)

Household as an economic unit

Interrelations between the productive assets owned by a

household, number of wage earners and consumption

Elwin (1964), Hart (1973), Hogger (1994), Ellis (2001)

Multiple activities and diversification of livelihoods

De Haan (2000), De Haan & Zoomers (2003)

Globalisation, migration, decomposition of households

Erosion of traditional solidarity

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Multi-Dimensionality of Poverty

Nurkse (1952)Poor people are held captive in the vicious circle of poverty:

Low incomeLow savingsLow investment Low production

Low income

Sustenance

Servicing / replacement of resources including claims on resources Surplus to market, additional needs met

Streeten et al (1981)

Measuring Economic growth alone will not give a true picture of

poverty

Basic needs approach

education and health

human resource development

short term subsidy programs till productivity is enhanced

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Multi-Disciplinary Approach

Brundtland Commission (1987)

Integrated approach, cutting across disciplinary and sectorial

boundaries

Chambers & Conway (1992)

Household

Vulnerability and livelihood strategies

DFID SLA framework

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Emergence of Livelihoods Perspective

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Vidal de laBlache (1911)

de Haan (2000)

de Haan &

Zoomers (2003)

Brundtland

Committee

(1987)

Baerwald (1955) De Haan &

Zoomers (2003)

Gandhi (1920s)

Pritchard

(1940), Polanyi

(1944)

Chambers

Elwin (1964)

Hart (1973)

Hogger (1994)

Ellis (2001)

Livelihoods

Chambers &Conway 1992;

De Haan(2000)

Multipleeconomicactivities

Social,political and

economicinterrelation

s

Household /family

Risks andvulnerability

Geography/Globalisatio

n

Multi-disciplinary

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Challenges

Is Livelihoods a Catch all phrase?

Not comprehensive enough?

Difficult to operationalize and implement

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Food for Thought

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Food for cattle actually!

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Food for Thought

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Food for Thought

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