Deadline for chapter abstract submissions: 30 Jan 2020
Contact email: f.s.nunan@bham.ac.uk
Editors: Fiona Nunan, Clare Barnes and Sukanya Krishnamurthy
Length of abstract: Up to 200 words

The Routledge Handbook on Livelihoods in the Global South presents a unique and timely comprehensive overview of the diverse dimensions of, and perspectives on, livelihoods in low- and middle-income countries. The Handbook will bring together insights and critical analysis from diverse approaches and experiences, learning from research and practice over the last twenty years. The aim is to provide a comprehensive and cutting-edge overview of theories, concepts and experiences of livelihoods in diverse settings. The book will be interdisciplinary, incorporate examples of multiple methods that can be used in data collection and analysis and will draw on experience and research from low- and middle-income countries across the world.

 The Handbook will be an essential resource for students and practitioners of international development and related fields. Students on international development programmes and related courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level will find the book invaluable due its comprehensive approach. Researchers and practitioners will benefit from the book through the diverse disciplinary contributions and by the wide and contemporary coverage, with chapters discussing issues across all regions of the Global South.

 Abstracts are sought for proposed chapters that fit within the themes of the book set out in the parts listed below. The abstract should be no longer than 200 words and set out the main content and approach of the proposed chapter, reflecting the following guidance:

  • Chapters are intended to provide a critically informed introduction and overview of key concepts, issues and debates of relevance to the topic.
  • Each chapter will provide a way into a topic, with pointers to key ideas and literature.
  • Chapters will follow a similar structure, with key illustrations or case examples in “call out boxes” within chapters, and key points identified and suggestions made for further reading at the end of the chapter.

The handbook will be organised as:

Introduction: Key concepts and frameworks

Part 1: Researching Livelihoods: Approaches and Methods

Part 2: Negotiating Livelihoods: Power and Intersectionality

Part 3: Generating Livelihoods: Employment and Income Generation

Part 4: Moving Livelihoods: Migration, Markets and Remittances

Part 5: Challenging Livelihoods: Conflict, Disaster and Climate Change

Conclusions: Key themes and future directions

Despite the wide usage of the term ‘livelihoods’ and the decades in which livelihoods approaches and perspectives have been taken, there remains a significant need for a single comprehensive volume that covers diverse components, allowing for perspectives to be contrasted and critically reflected upon. The Handbook would reflect a diversity of concerns recognised in the Sustainable Development Goals, covering a range of contexts and issues from a livelihoods perspective.

Contributions are invited for chapters in the following areas. Authors have the freedom to suggest pertinent chapter titles related to these proposed chapter topics.

  • Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and Framework
  • Wellbeing in Development
  • Rights-based approaches
  • Vulnerability: sources and responses
  • Seasonality
  • Social capital and social networks
  • Institutions mediating livelihoods
  • Capabilities approach
  • Capital assets analysis
  • Surveys
  • Interview techniques
  • Discourse analysis
  • Network analysis
  • Life stories and visual methods
  • Ethnographies
  • Participatory action research or mapping
  • Political systems and livelihoods
  • Power and livelihoods
  • Tenure and access to land
  • Corruption and livelihoods
  • Living with disabilities
  • Disabled access to employment and income generation
  • Accessing services
  • Queer livelihoods
  • Paid employment
  • Addressing youth unemployment
  • The informal sector
  • The garments industry
  • Agricultural livelihoods
  • The experience of ‘alternative livelihoods’
  • Fisheries and livelihoods
  • Pastoralism
  • Intrahousehold dynamics
  • Forms of migration
  • Access to markets
  • Remittances
  • Access to credit
  • Microfinance
  • Self-help forms of credit
  • Credit in trade and labour relations
  • Sense of home
  • Livelihoods in conflict settings
  • Reintegration of combatants
  • Advocating for livelihoods through social movements
  • Disasters
  • Impacts of climate change
  • Community-based adaptation

Jan 30, 2020: Submission of abstracts by authors

Feb 29, 2020: Notification of Acceptance

Aug 30, 2020: Full Draft Chapter Submission

October 30, 2020: Review Returned

Jan 30, 2021: Final review and editing

Feb 28, 2021: Final Chapter Submission