Corinne Gregoire, Cipriani College of Labour and Cooperative Studies, Trinidad and Tobago
Abstract: There have been many contributions to the concept of Livelihoods and Sustainable Livelihoods. A livelihood has been viewed a means of gaining a living (Cambers and Conway 1992). It has been seen as dynamic, complex, influenced by external forces and based on conscious choice (Soussan et al 2003). It is seen as emphasizing access to assets, impacted by social relations and institutions (Ellis 2000). It is believed to be umbrella concept focusing on the social layers of life and the overlap between them. (Wallman 1984). A Livelihood is Sustainable when it can cope/recover from stress /shocks, maintain/enhance its capabilities and assets, and provide SL opportunities for the next generation (Cambers and Conway 1992). A Sustainable Livelihood is thought to be an approach to development: a way to structure analysis (Ashley and Carney 1999) Some authors focus on the intergenerational component (Carney 1998) whilst others focus on not undermining the natural resource base (Scoones, 1998). The issue of change within in the concept of a socio-ecological system has also been raised (Singh and Titi 1994). Other authors believed that contributions made were sometimes unclear, inconsistent, narrow and only added to a conceptual model (Carswell et al 1997 cited in Scoones 1998.). The question remains: what is a livelihood and what makes a livelihood sustainable. The objective of this study is to put this debate within a Caribbean context. The concept of Sustainable Livelihoods should now be applied and interpreted to determine what it actually means to Caribbean people. The end point of such a discourse should be the development of a working definition of the concept based on what constitutes life in the Caribbean. This will be done with a review of the literature from both within and outside of the Caribbean region, placing emphasis subsequently on the contributions and use of the concept by Caribbean Development Practitioners.
Keywords: Sustainable Livelihoods, Caribbean Livelihoods
