Hanging In, Stepping up and Stepping Out: Livelihood Aspirations and Strategies of the Poor Development in Practice

Main author: Dorward, Andrew
Other authors: Anderson, Simon
Nava Bernal, Yolanda
Pattison, J.
Paz, R.
Rushton, Jonathan
Sanchez Vera, E.
Format: Journal Article           
Online access: Click here to view record


Summary: In recent years understanding of poverty and of ways in which people escape from or fall into poverty has become more holistic. This should improve the capabilities of policy analysts and others working to reduce poverty, but it also makes analysis more complex. This paper describes a simple schema which integrates multidimensional, multilevel and dynamic understandings of poverty, of poor people’s livelihoods, and of changing roles of agricultural systems. The paper suggests three broad types of strategy pursued by poor people: ‘hanging in’; ‘stepping up’; and ‘stepping out’. This simple schema explicitly recognises the dynamic aspirations of poor people; diversity among them; and livelihood diversification. It also brings together aspirations of poor people with wider sectoral, inter-sectoral and macro-economic questions about policies necessary for realisation of those aspirations.
Other authors: Anderson, Simon, Nava Bernal, Yolanda, Pattison, J., Paz, R., Rushton, Jonathan, Sanchez Vera, E.
Language: English
Published: Taylor and Francis 2009