Urban families under pressure: conceptual and methodological issues in the study of poverty, HIV/AIDS and livelihood strategies

What have been the impacts of short-term shocks and long duration stresses on the well-being of urban households in sub-Saharan Africa? What factors mediate the impacts of such stresses? This background paper sets the context for research to be undertaken in low-income settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, and in Lusaka and Ndolo, Zambia.

The paper reviews the literature on a livelihoods approach to understanding livelihood strategies, and examines some methodological issues raised by its adoption. The research seeks to explore why some households are more able to adapt and recover from shocks and stresses due to economic decline and ill-health than others. It also seeks to track how relationships between household members are changing, in particular household composition and inter-generational relationships, and what the connections are between these changing relationships and livelihood strategies.

The paper notes that:

• urban areas are generally more culturally diverse, socially fragmented and less safe than rural areas, but also present greater economic opportunities and opportunities to link with governance structures. There is greater dependence on cash income and labour is urban poor people’s most important asset
• responses to shocks including HIV/AIDS are likely to depend on the assets available to the household, the economic context, contemporary rural links, whether the household itself is affected by HIV/AIDs and other factors
  
• it concludes that a multi-method research strategy is required, capable of collecting both quantitative and qualitative data, from individuals, households and local communities
• it is necessary to develop a thorough understanding of the changing national, local and personal socio-economic and cultural context in which people live as well as detailed studies of life histories and livelihood strategies of individuals and households.