Livelihood Explained

A person's livelihood (derived from life-lode, "way of life"; cf. OG lib-leit)[1] refers to their "means of securing the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing) of life". Livelihood is defined as a set of activities essential to everyday life that are conducted over one's life span. Such activities could include securing water, food, fodder, medicine, shelter, clothing. An individual's livelihood involves the capacity to acquire aforementioned necessities in order to satisfy the basic needs of themselves and their household. The activities are usually carried out repeatedly and in a manner that is sustainable and providing of dignity.[2] For instance, a fisherman's livelihood depends on the availability and accessibility of fish.

The concept of Sustainable Livelihood (SL)[3] [4] [5] [6] is an attempt to go beyond the conventional definitions and approaches to poverty eradication.[7]

These had been found to be too narrow because they focused only on certain aspects or manifestations of poverty, such as low income, or did not consider other vital aspects of poverty such as vulnerability and social exclusion. It is now recognized that more attention must be paid to the various factors and processes which either constrain or enhance poor people's ability to make a living in an economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable manner.

The SL concept offers a more coherent and integrated approach to poverty. The sustainable livelihoods idea was first introduced by the Brundtland Commission on Environment and Development, and the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development expanded the concept, advocating for the achievement of sustainable livelihoods as a broad goal for poverty eradication.

In 1992 Robert Chambers and Gordon Conway[8] proposed the following composite definition of a sustainable rural livelihood, which is applied most commonly at the household level: "A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets (stores, resources, claims and access) and activities required for a means of living: a livelihood is sustainable which can cope with and recover from stress and shocks, maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets, and provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for the next generation; and which contributes net benefits to other livelihoods at the local and global levels and in the short and long term."[9]

In social sciences

In social sciences, the concept of livelihood extends to include social and cultural means, i.e. "the command an individual, family, or other social group has over an income and/or bundles of resources that can be used or exchanged to satisfy its needs. This may involve information, cultural knowledge, social networks and legal rights as well as tools, land and other physical resources."[10]

The concept of livelihood is used in the fields such as political ecology in research that focuses on sustainability and human rights.

Contributors to literature and practice

See also

Notes and References

  1. Wedgwood. Hensleigh. Hensleigh Wedgwood. On False Etymologies. Transactions of the Philological Society. 1855. 6. 68.
  2. Book: Oxford Dictionary of English. Oxford University Press. www.oxfordreference.com. 10.1093/acref/9780199571123.001.0001. 2010. 9780199571123.
  3. Web site: Archived copy . 2013-08-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131004221750/http://www.forestry.umn.edu/prod/groups/cfans/@pub/@cfans/@forestry/documents/asset/cfans_asset_202603.pdf . 2013-10-04 . dead .
  4. Web site: IDS Bookshop - Item details . 2013-08-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131005012006/http://www.ntd.co.uk/idsbookshop/details.asp?id=419 . 2013-10-05 . dead .
  5. Web site: Archived copy . 2013-08-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131005011533/http://graduateinstitute.ch/files/live/sites/iheid/files/sites/developpement/shared/developpement/mdev/soutienauxcours0809/Gironde%20Pauvrete/Sustainable%20Rural%20Livelihhods%20-%20Scoones.pdf . 2013-10-05 . dead .
  6. Web site: Data . www.sarpn.org .
  7. Krantz. Lasse. 2001. The Sustainable Livelihood Approach to Poverty Reduction. SIDA. 1.
  8. Web site: Documents . opendocs.ids.ac.uk .
  9. Web site: Info . www.humanecologyreview.org .
  10. Blaikie P., Cannon T., Davis I., Wisner B. At Risk: Natural Hazards, People’s Vulnerability, and Disasters. New York, NY: Routledge, 2004,
  11. Web site: Ian Scoones. www.ids.ac.uk. 2016-03-24.
  12. Web site: Capitals and Capabilities: A Framework for Analyzing Peasant Viability, Rural Livelihoods and Poverty. Bebbington. Anthony. 1999.
  13. Web site: Nothing found for Publications Prarticle 2005 09 29 5069774463 Prarticle 2005 09 29 1875579521 Skatpublication 2005 11 22 4965887530 File. skat.ch. 2013-08-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040608/http://www.skat.ch/publications/prarticle.2005-09-29.5069774463/prarticle.2005-09-29.1875579521/skatpublication.2005-11-22.4965887530/file. 2016-03-04. dead.
  14. Web site: In Search of Sustainable Livelihood Systems - SAGE Publications Inc. www.sagepub.com. 2016-03-24.
  15. Web site: Premchander, Smita - SAGE Publications Inc. www.sagepub.com. 2016-03-24.
  16. Web site: Archived copy . 2013-08-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131126192555/http://www.clp-bangladesh.org/pdf/clp_social_development_review_04nov2010.pdf . 2013-11-26 . dead .
  17. http://www.clp-bangladesh.org/pdf/social%20development%20review%20-%20final%20report.pdf
  18. Web site: Archived copy . 2013-08-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20040907215623/http://nadel.ethz.ch/forschung/flyer_rls.pdf . 2004-09-07 . dead .
  19. Web site: Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries. www.kfpe.ch. 2016-03-24.
  20. Web site: Ruralfinance.org - Min økonomi blogg. https://archive.today/20130702112219/http://www.ruralfinance.org/library/policy-advice/livelihood-promotion/livelihood-promotion-details/ru/?no_cache=1&srec=10382&tdet=training&tdet2=&tdet3=2&referer=MTA1MjU%3D. dead. 2013-07-02. Ruralfinance.org. en-US. 2016-03-24.
  21. Web site: Gkkaranth . 2013-08-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130502180044/http://isec.ac.in/gkkaranth.htm . 2013-05-02 . dead .
  22. Web site: G K Karanth - Publications. www.researchgate.net. 2016-03-24.
  23. Web site: V Ramaswamy. www.isec.ac.in.
  24. Book: The Threshing Floor Disappears: Rural Livelihood System in Transition. 2003-01-01. Institute for Social and Economic Change. en.
  25. Web site: Opinion data . www.odi.org.uk .
  26. Book: Ellis, Frank. Rural Livelihoods and Diversity in Developing Countries. 2000-06-29. OUP Oxford. 9780198296966. en.
  27. Web site: Rural Livelihoods and Diversity in Developing Countries. Goodreads. 2016-03-24.
  28. Web site: Research data . r4d.dfid.gov.uk .
  29. Web site: Professor Frank Ellis - UEA. www.uea.ac.uk. 2016-03-24.
  30. http://www.fao.org/es/esw/lsp/cd/img/docs/lspwp9.pdf
  31. Ellis. Frank. 2000-05-01. The Determinants of Rural Livelihood Diversification in Developing Countries. Journal of Agricultural Economics. en. 51. 2. 289–302. 10.1111/j.1477-9552.2000.tb01229.x. 1477-9552.
  32. Web site: Workshop info . ced.org.in .
  33. Web site: Shambu Prasad Chebrolu - Institute of Rural Management Anand - Academia.edu. ximb.academia.edu. 2016-03-24.
  34. Web site: Meeting with BAIF Group from India | Babcock Institute . 2013-09-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120822100754/http://babcock.wisc.edu/node/781 . 2012-08-22 . dead .
  35. Web site: Info . www.baif.org.in .
  36. Web site: Pradan - Workshop on NREGA: Beyond Wages to Sustainable Livelihoods. www.pradan.net. 2016-03-24.
  37. Web site: Food Security for Dryland Communities. www.ddsindia.com.
  38. Web site: Land, Livelihoods & Food Security By K.S. Gopal. Watch. National Social. www.socialwatchindia.net. 2016-03-24.
  39. Web site: Ajit Kanitkar / Team / Expanding Livelihood Opportunities for Poor Households / Economic Fairness / Ford Foundation . 2013-09-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130906071616/http://www.fordfoundation.org/issues/economic-fairness/expanding-livelihood-opportunities-for-poor-households/team/ajit-kanitkar . 2013-09-06 . dead .
  40. Web site: Ajit Kanitkar | Economic and Political Weekly . 2013-09-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131214022827/http://www.epw.in/authors/ajit-kanitkar . 2013-12-14 . dead .
  41. Web site: My schedule for Ashoka Future Forum. ashokafutureforum2013a.sched.org. 2016-03-24.
  42. Book: Grassroots entrepreneurship: entrepreneurs and microenterprises in rural India. Kanitkar. Ajit. Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung. 1995-01-01. New Age International Publishers. 9788122407396. en.
  43. Web site: Data . www.irma.ac.in .
  44. Web site: Sankar Datta. SAGE. 2016-03-24.

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