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Towards a conceptual framework of household coping: reflections from rural West Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2011

Alayne M. Adams ,
Jindra Cekan  and
Rainer Sauerborn
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Extract

The study and application of household coping have largely been confined to the problems of famine and food insecurity. Based on field insights from West Africa, this paper argues that understanding how households cope and allocate resources in times of crisis is of immense value to a broad array of development interventions. It also introduces a conceptual framework that evaluates household coping in exogenous and endogenous contexts. The application of this framework may provide a more informed approach to development intervention design, implementation and targeting that is sensitive to the differential needs and experiences of rural households and communities.

Résumé

L'etude et l'application des comportements des ménages face aux difficultés ont été largement confinées aux problemes de famine et de précarité alimentaire. S'appuyant sur l'observation de situations en Afrique occidentale, cet article suggère qu'une meilleure connaissance de la manière dont les ménages font face aux difficultés et affectent leurs ressources en temps de crise est extrêmement utile pour un large éventail d'interventions en faveur du développement. II présente aussi un cadre conceptuel d'évaluation des comportements des ménages face aux difficultés dans des contextes exogènes et endogènes. L'application de ce cadre peut fournir une approche mieux informée en matière de conception, de mise en oeuvre et de ciblage des interventions en faveur du développement, et plus sensible aux différents besoins et expériences des communautés et des ménages ruraux.

Type
Pairing makes for power, but whence resilience?
Information
Africa , Volume 68 , Issue 2 , April 1998 , pp. 263 - 283
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1998

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