Post on 07-Apr-2018
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WELCOME TORural Livelihood Systems
B.N. Hiremath
Professor
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INTRODUCTION Who is B.N. Hiremath? What is this course all about?
How do I prepare for the course? Study Groups,
Notes, Other Reading
How am I Evaluated? Quizzes,
Exams, assignments (reading, written)
Grading
Attendance
Others (Ancient Futures, etc.)
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Understanding Livelihoods
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Why all the Noise about SL?
Were getting serious about poverty,
What we have done in the past has not been toosuccessful: a search for something more effective
Initially: direct impact on the poor
Later: a more analytical understanding of thecomplexity of poverty of the factors that affectpoverty
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Defining Poverty
Not just income / GDP
but human development
TIPThink people,
not national statistics
The rich are gettingricher and the poor are
getting poorer
Not just the means to survive
butthe capabilitytothrive
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Not being Poor Means that people . . .
Can sustain the capabilities, assets, and activities
required for a means of living
Have the ability to cope with stresses and shock
And can maintain and enhance those capabilities and
assets
Without undermining the natural resource
base TIPThese are the characteristics
of a Livelihood
(Chambers
& Conway,
1992)
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If we put people at the centre of
development, we need ... To be more holistic- poor people lead complex lives
To be dynamic- like the threats and opportunities the poor face
To build on theirinherent potential- rather than what they have not got
T
o considermacro-micro links-because people are affected by policies
To mainstream sustainability- environmental, economic, social, institutional
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And in particular ...
We need to incorporate peoples own definition
of desirable outcomes
Sounds Obvious ?
But its not what weve been doing
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What we did before (1)
Supply of technology, inputs & services
often production orientated missed the poor:
not targeted towards the poor / inappropriate to the needs of the
poor
captured by the wealthy
could not be sustained
Move to capacity-building in sector
organisations instead
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What we did before (2)Organisational Development
Equipped people and organisations with the skills and
resources to do a better job But, on the whole, little has changed
New skills are not used
The new-look organisation is not financially viable
Still tended to be sector-specific and supply-driven Because the rules of the game never really changed
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So we now think about ...
Policies and Institutions as well
Creating the enabling environment for a better way of
doing things by changing the rules of the game
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The SL Framework (1)
Is simply a tool to help: Plan new development initiatives
Assess the contribution to livelihood sustainability
made by existing activities
It:
Provides a checklist of issues
Highlights what influences what
Emphasises the multiple interactions that affect
peoples livelihoods
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The SL Framework (2)
Helps us think holistically about:
The things that the poor might be very vulnerable to
The assets and resources that help them thrive andsurvive
The policies and institutions that impact on theirlivelihoods
How the poor respond to threats and opportunities
What sort of outcomes the poor aspire to
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Overview
Origins of the livelihoods approach
Definitions Starting points
Households and livelihoods
Assets, activities and capabilities Basic livelihoods conceptual framework
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Origins of the Livelihoods Approach
SL approach draws on aspects of:
Integrated Rural Development Planning during 1970s
Food security initiatives during 1980s RRA and PRA
Farming systems research
Gender analysis
Risk and vulnerability assessment Participatory poverty assessment
Appreciative enquiry
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Whose Livelihoods?
The concept of livelihoods and livelihoodsanalysis is closely associated with povertyreduction strategies
The livelihoods of poor households are thecentral focus
The framework is seldom used to directly
examine the sustainability of the livelihoods ofthe affluent and how this impacts on thelivelihoods of the poor
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Definitions of Livelihoods
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LS Definitions
The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) providesthe following definition for sustainable livelihoods:
The creation of conditions that are (self-supportive) ofsustainable development in human, natural andeconomic systems, which, whilst safeguardingresources and opportunities for future generations,
provides individuals with means to providethemselves with food, shelter and an acceptablequality of life.....
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LS Definitions ContdThe International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) defines sustainable livelihoods
as being:
"... Concerned with people's capacities to generate and maintain their means of living,enhance their well-being, and that of future generations.
"These capacities are contingent upon the availability and accessibility of options which areecological, socio-cultural, economic, and political and are predicated on equity, ownership ofresources and participatory decision making. The more pragmatic definition below, highlightsthe importance of empowering individuals, achieving independence and dignity in providingfor their basic needs".
"Sustainable livelihood creation basically translates into the creation of livelihoods thatempower individuals to earn enough money to provide for basic amenities such as food,
clothing and shelter. It also enables people to lead a life of dignity in a sustainable manner.
Note: Extracted from IISD's "Adaptive strategies of the poor in arid and semi-arid lands: in searchof sustainable livelihoods" (Singh and Titi, 1994)
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LS Definitions Contd
However, a definition of sustainable
livelihoods should go beyond the basic
requirements for living (food, shelter and
clothing). It is about achieving a quality of life
that is embedded within the rich local cultures
of many communities. The sustainability
debate reminds us that this must be donewithin 'the means of nature'.
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LS Definitions ContdThe United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) differentiates between a job and a livelihood which
are often used interchangeably.
Livelihoods
"A livelihood, on the other hand, is engagement in a number of activities which, at times, neither require a
formal agreement nor are limited to a particular trade. Livelihoods may or may not involve money. Jobsinvariably do. Livelihoods are self-directing. .... . Livelihoods are based on income derived from "jobs", butalso on incomes derived from assets and entitlements.
Jobs
"A job connotes one particular activity or trade that is performed in exchange for payment. It is also aformal agreement, as manifested by a contract, between an employer and employee...... . A job can,however, comprise part of an overall livelihood, but does so only to complement other aspects of alivelihood portfolio.
"a means of living or of supporting life and meeting individual and community needs
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LS Definitions Contd
The definition used by the UK's Department of Foreign and InternationalDevelopment (DFID) incorporates these sentiments.
'A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets (including both material andsocial resources) and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood
is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocksand maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in thefuture, while not undermining the natural resource base' (Chambers, R. andG. Conway, 1992).
Adapted from Chambers, R. and G. Conway (1992) Sustainable rurallivelihoods: Practical concepts for the 21 st century. IDS Discussion Paper296. Brighton: IDS.
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What is a Sustainable Livelihood?
A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets(including both material and social resources) andactivities required for a means of living
Households have sustainable livelihoods when theycan cope with and recover from shocks and stressesand can maintain their capabilities and assets withoutundermining the natural resource base
Chambers & Conway and Carney D
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What is a Sustainable Livelihood?
Peoples capacity to generate and maintaintheir means of living, enhance their well-beingand that of future generations. These capacities
are contingent on the availability andaccessibility of options which are ecological,economic, political and which are predicatedon equity, ownership of resources and
participatory decision makingTiti,V and Singh N.
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Defining Livelihoods
Two broad approaches to defining livelihoods
One has a narrowereconomic focus onproduction, employment and household income
The other takes a more holistic view which unitesconcepts of economic development, reducedvulnerability, environmental sustainability whileidentifying and building on the strengths of the
urban and rural poor We will work with the second approach
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Holistic Approach
Itis not nature which divides itself up intophysics, biology, psychology, economics,sociology, etc.itis we who have imposed these
divisions on nature. And these divisionsbecome so ingrainedin our thinking that, thepower of reductionism science aside; itis notsurprising that we findit hard to see the unity
that underlies the divisions.
Checkland (1981)
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LS Definitions Contd
Livelihood System: A multidimensional whole embracing allforces and constraints, material and non-material innature that determines a family's existence.
Ruedi Hogger (1994)
Nine-Square Mandala: Is a practical heuristic tool to view thelivelihood system in a multidimensional way that is moreholistic. This nine-fold focus is useful in the approach to
and understanding of the rural livelihood systems fromvarious angles, ranging from the outer (material) to theinner (non-material) realities and from the tradition boundto more future oriented perspectives.
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Starting Points
People are the starting point of development
Households are the primary unit of analysis
Analyse peoples livelihoods and how they have
changed over time Assess the range of factors in external environmentwhich impact positively or negatively on peopleslivelihoods
Strengthen household livelihood security by building
on the material assets, human and social resourcesand coping strategies that people have developed, andreducing risk
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The SL Framework: Where are the Poor?
Policies
Institutions
Processes
NS
FP
H
Vulnerabilit
yContext
Shocks
Seasonality
Trends
Changes
influenceLivelihood
StrategiesLivelihood
Outcomes
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Core concepts
Households come in different shapes and sizes
Households depend on multiple livelihoods strategies
Household drawon assets ofdifferent types
Household havevaryingcapabilities
Households
carry outdifferentlivelihoodactivities
Material assets,social assets andentitlements
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Inside the household
Households come in different shapes and sizes Extended, intergenerational, single headed etc
Households are stratified Some households have greater access to assets, more
diversified livelihood activities, more capabilities morepower Livelihood strategies of some may undermine livelihoods
of others
Internally differentiated Gender divisions of labour and power result in unequal
access to household resources and related decision making Households operate in a vulnerability context A range of factors determine exposure to hazards and risk
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Assets
Human and social resources Institutional and political resources
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Financial and economicresources Physical resources
Natural ecological resources
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Household activities
Household activities fall into three types
differentiated by gender and age
Activities that maintain and reproduce the
household childcare, domestic tasks of many
different types.
A range of different productive activities
Activities where household members contributecommunity processes
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Productive
Activities
Formal employment Casual work Grey economy
Buying and sellingLocal
construction/self build
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Taxi, transport
Homestead productionLivestockand cropsNatural resource use
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Capabilities
Literacy, education Technical skills
Entrepreneurial skillsHomestead skills
Agricultural skills
Health
Labour
Environmental knowledge
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Householdlivelihoods incontext
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Expanding the asset base
Enhancing thesustainability
of all 5 assets
Human
Capital
Natural
Capital
Physical
Capital
Social
Capital
Financial
Capital
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A
nA
lternative SustainableLivelihoods Framework
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Key issues in the SL framework Poor not central enough easily lost from vision
Key processes gender, age, ethnic group,
class/caste not explicitly highlighted
Tradeability of livelihood assets not indicated
Linkages between different elements not sufficiently
highlighted
Too sequential left-to-right
Aspirations and opportunities missing
Little assistance in dealing practically with PIP box
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Placing the poor firmly at the centre Identifying key processes that define who the
poor are and how they relate to everything elsein the framework. This emphasises the
importance of thorough stakeholder analysis as astarting point for SL analysis.
Key processes include gender, age, class or caste,ethnic group, and ability (the poorest are oftenfound among the physically or mentally less able,or among those suffering from chronic illnesses)
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Focusing on the Poor
TheThePoorPoor
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LivelihoodAssets
4. Financial 2.Physical
3. Natural
5. Social 1.Human
6. Personal
TheThePoorPoor
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1. Human Assets
Health
Nutrition
Education
Knowledge and skills (including traditionalor indigenous knowledge)
Capacity to work
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2. Physical Assets
Infrastructure
transport - roads, vehicles, etc. secure shelter& buildings
watersupply & sanitation
energy communications
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Physical Assets contd
Tools and technology
Toolsand equipment forproduction
Seed, fertiliser,pesticides
Traditional technology
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3. Natural Assets
Landandproduce
Water& aquatic resources
Treesand forestproducts Wildlife
Wild foods & fibres
Biodiversity Environmental services
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4. Financial Assets
Savings
Credit/debt - formal, informal
Remittances
Pensions
Wages
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5. Social Assets
y Networks
y Membershipofgroups
y Relationshipsoftrust
y Accesstowider institutionsofsociety
uponwhich people draw inpursuitof livelihoods.
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6. Personal assets
Includes:
Peoples perceptions of themselves
Motivations
Self-esteem
Self-confidence
Emotional well-being
Spritiual dimensions
Peoples capacity, and will, to assert
themselves and claim their rights (linkingwith social assets, in the form of
mechanisms of representation and political
action).
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The Asset MixDifferent households have differentaccessto
livelihood assets
Livelihoodsaffected by:
D
iversity ofassets amountofassets
balance betweenassets
Livelihoodassetsare tradableand exchangeable
natural assets can be converted into financial assets,social assets can helptosupportpersonal assets,
strong humanassets can contribute tostrongersocial
assets, etc.
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Unpacking Policies andInstitutions
EnablingAgencies(Policy
Makers)
Serviceproviders
Financial Physical
Natural
Social
Human
Personal
TheThePoorPoor
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This hubmodel encourages ustoask questionsaboutthe relationships betweenthe
key actors:
Howdoenabling agencies (policy makers) interactwith service providers
isthe relationshipacontract ,whatmeasurement andsupervision is
there,whatare the interests involved,whatare the incentives governing
thisrelationship enablingagencies, howdoresources flowandwhomakes
decisionsaboutthem
Howdoservice providers relate totheirclientsorusers, includingthe
poor isthere any contract involved,whatmechanismsare there for
accountability,do clients have accesstolegal redress, howmuch do users
participate indeterminingthe typesofservicesthatare made available to
them
Howdoenabling agencies andclients or users interact isthere
representation, isthere accountability andtransparency,does
knowledge andinformation aboutthe poorandthe conditionsthey face get
topolicy makers, howdoesthe policy process reflectthe interestsof users,
howdecentralised are decisionandpolicy-makingprocesses
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Unpacking Processes
Enablingagencies
Serviceproviders
FinancialPhysical
Natural
Social
Human
Personal
TheThe
PoorPoor
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Key processes and power relations
(gender, age, caste/class, ethnic group)
Introducingotherkey processesandmore
normative, less tangible institutions
Mediatorsofrelations between enablingagencies,service providersand users (andthe
pooras users)
Highlighting importance ofmarkets mostserviceprovidersare usually provate sector. How isthe
private sectorarticulated,whatrulesgovern it,
whosetsthe rules, howare they enforced
Key processes and power relations
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Key processes and power relations
(gender, age, caste/class, ethnic group)
Culture is liable toplay a critical role indefiningthe rulesofthe game
attitudesto legal process,money,property,the distributionofpower,
the rolesofgender/age/class/ethnic group/ability inaffectingpeoples
accesstoservicesandtothe policy processandthe social normsor
customsthatare commonthroughoutsociety orforparticulargroups
withinsociety
Rights whatrightsare recognised,towhat extentare universal
humanrightsrecognisedorunderwritten,who checksonthese.
Specifically recognising politics representation,powerrelations,
rights,andpolitical processesthat influence strongly the relations
between enablingagencies,service providersand users.
Emphasising enabling (orhindering)role ofpolicy
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Unpacking the Policies, Institutions and Processes
(PIP) box into Practical Elements
Incorporating
enablingagencies macro,policy,national/state level
service delivery agencies meso, implementation,state/district/locallevel
Focussingonrelationships betweenagencies (not juststructuresand
functions)
Incorporatesthe ideaof governance apolitical concept, involving
settingthe rules forthe exercise ofpowerandresolving conflictsover
those rules
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An Envelope ofAction
Enablingagencies
Serviceproviders
FinancialPhysical
Natural
Social
Human
Personal
TheThe
PoorPoor
Th i t ti f th l t d fi
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The interactionofthese elementsdefinesan
envelope ofopportunity forthe poor
The actionof enablingagenciesandservice
providers can helptomake that envelope
biggerorsmaller
The influence ofmarkets,politics, culture and
rightsalsoof central importance
These are all areasthat can be addressed
some are more difficultthanothers
St E l P l L V bl
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Strong Envelope People Less Vunerable
Enablingagencies
Serviceproviders
FinancialPhysical
Natural
Social
Human
Personal
TheThe
PoorPoor
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Weak Envelope People More Vulnerable
Enabling
agencies
Serviceproviders
FinancialPhysical
Natural
SocialHuman
Personal
TheThePoorPoor
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If this envelope is strong and therelationships within it work well, vulnerabilityfactors - which you cant do anything about can
be kept at bay or people can be helped to dealwith them better
Vulnerability is all-embracing effectingeverything inside it:
the poor the assets they use the agencies they deal with their relationships between those
agencies and the poor the ways that processes influence those
relationships
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The Vulnerability Context
Shocks
Floods, droughts, cyclones
Deaths in the family
Violence or civil unrest Seasonality
Trends and changes
Population
Environmental changeTechnology
Global markets and trade
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Enablingagencies
Serviceproviders
FinancialPhysical
Natural
Social Human
Personal
TheThePoorPoor
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Uses
Aguide for people in the analysis ofdevelopmentpractice and issues
Encourages discussion andprobing
Not necessarily easier to explain but more complete
Specifically identifies many features politics, rules,socialnorms, gender/age/class/ethnic issues that willhelp make it more culture specific
Stillnot a magic bullet!
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AdvantagesA
ddresses some of the grey areas identifiedregarding SL
Places the poor firmly at the centre makes people visible
Suggests the importance of clear definition of who is at thecentre of the analysis
Unpacks the PIP box more specific regarding keyinstitutions andprocesses andprovides a more practicalapproach to analysing institutional andpolicy issues
Incorporates politicaldimension more explicitly
Helps understand entry points based on opportunities andaspirations, possible at different levels (identifying them stilldepends ongood analysis)
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LS Definition
Livelihood System: A multidimensional whole
embracing all forces and constraints, material (outerrealities) and non-material (inner realities) in nature
that determines a family's existence.
RuediHogger (1994)
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Universal Model: Completeness and
InnerC
oherence of the Universe
4 9 2
3 5 7
8 1 6
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The RLS Mandala: Is a practical heuristictool to view the livelihood system in amultidimensional way that is more holistic.
This nine-fold focus is useful in the approachto and understanding of the rural livelihoodsystems from various angles, ranging fromthe outer (material) to the inner (non-
material) realities and from the traditionbound to more future oriented perspectives.
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RLS MANDALA9. Individual Orientation
Visions, Hopes
Aspirations
Fears
Self-image
Gurus models
8. Family Orientation
Ancestors
Caste, social status
Aspirations to education, leadership,
jobs
Aspirations to power,
wealth, social mobility
7. Collective Orientation
Subsistence agriculture
Food security
Religion, tradition, values
State laws, Common property
resources
World views, ideology
6. InnerHuman Space
Integrity, identity
Awareness, Selfishness
compassion
People orientation
Curiosity, courage
5. Family Space
Gender relations
Nutrition distribution
Health, family planning
Work distribution
Solidarity
4. Socio-economic Space
Production relations
Patterns of cooperation
Community organisations
Factor and goods markets
Intermediation processes
3. Emotional Base
Memories
Attachments
Feelings, Anxieties
Boredom, Idealism
2. Knowledge-Activity Base
Technical skills, Experience
Agricultural patterns
Traditional knowledge
Labour, crafts, services
Modern professions
Physical Base
Natural habitat Natural resource base
Animals- population-trees
Distribution of wealth
Accumulation of wealth