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A Case Study on Changing Livelihood Strategies of the Community of Ban Non Sao-e Village, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand

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Abstract

In an attempt to better understand household response to natural and socio-economical conditions in a rural community, this paper examines the livelihood strategies developed by members of the village of Ban Non Sao-e. Using data compiled from 44 household surveys, I investigate how the village community adapted to these new livelihood strategies, in which landownership and farming become gradually less important. I examine the income-generating capacity of each occupation, as well as the average income of households. Results indicate that those who own land have a higher average income than those who do not. The respondents stressed that agricultural production was not a viable income-generating strategy for most households in the study area. Landownership, access to water resources and institutional financial sources all have a significant effect on average income. The case study suggests that a purely economic or natural approach is not sufficient to explain livelihood strategy changes, especially in rural communities.

Dans le but de mieux comprendre la réponse des ménages aux évolutions des conditions naturelles et socio-économiques dans une communauté rurale, cet article examine les stratégies de subsistance des membres du village de Ban Non Sao-e. En utilisant les données de 44 enquêtes auprès de ménages, je cherche à voir comment la communauté villageoise s’adapte aux nouvelles stratégies de subsistance, dans lesquelles la propriété foncière et l’exploitation agricole prennent de moins en moins de place. J’examine la capacité à générer des revenus de chaque type d’activité, ainsi que le revenu moyen des ménages. Les résultats indiquent que les propriétaires fonciers ont des revenus moyens supérieurs à ceux qui ne sont pas propriétaires. Les enquêtés soulignent que la production agricole ne correspond pas à une stratégie fiable pour générer des revenus en ce qui concerne la plupart des ménages dans la zone de l’étude. La propriété de la terre, l’accès à l’eau et les sources de financement institutionnelles ont un effet significatif sur le revenu moyen. L’étude de cas suggère qu’une approche purement économique ou naturelle n’est pas suffisante pour expliquer les changements dans les stratégies de subsistance, tout particulièrement dans les zones rurales.

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Notes

  1. The Land Code identified two types of secure documents: N.S. – 4 and – 3, or N.S. – 3 K. These documents contain a demarcation of land boundaries, and allow the owner to sell, transfer and legally mortgage the land (Feder and Onchan, 1987).

  2. State simplification denotes acts by state officials to create a standard grid whereby complex and illegible local systems can be centrally recorded (Scott, 1998).

  3. The approximate exchange rate at the time the study was undertaken was US $1=41 THB.

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Ms Sinprom, Ms Thongthuam, Ms Kongmak and Mr Douangdavong from Kasetsart University for their support and help. I send my sincere gratitude to the people of Ban Non Sao-e village for their hospitality, participation and patience.

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  1. Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Aarhus,

    Isik Ozturk

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Ozturk, I. A Case Study on Changing Livelihood Strategies of the Community of Ban Non Sao-e Village, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. Eur J Dev Res 21, 250–263 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1057/ejdr.2008.21

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