Adaptation, Poverty and Development

By: David Alexander Clark

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis: In contrast to previous attempts to examine adaptation to climate change in developing countries, the authors focus on how individuals and broader social groups adjust their aspirations, mental states, social values and behaviour as well as practices in response to changes in their personal and social circumstances. Employing a unique blend of cross-disciplinary work from economics, psychology, sociology and philosophy, this innovative book draws on quantitative and qualitative techniques. The three sections deal with conceptual issues, empirical studies and specific topics (gender, disability, migration) relating to adaptation in developing countries. It includes detailed case studies of adaptation in China, Ethiopia, India and South Africa and underlines the case for listening to the poor by suggesting that people who become worse off are less likely to lower their aspirations or restrict their values than is commonly thought by some philosophers and social scientists. "