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Expanding freedoms and improving commons through labour: A study of Kerala’s Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme

Subramanian, Sahana LU (2023) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20231
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
India faces an urban unemployment crisis and a crisis of declining life quality in urban spaces due to a lack of public services and the stress on urban commons. An urban employment guarantee scheme, such as Kerala’s Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (AUEGS), has the potential to address this twin crisis. Although well envisioned, AUEGS has underperformed since its inception, warranting attention. This study uses the capabilities approach to human development to assess AUEGS’ impact on urban commons and on beneficiaries' well-being understood as human freedoms. By employing fieldwork drawing on qualitative methods in Kerala, India, the study shows that although AUEGS guidelines aim to improve beneficiaries’ functionings and... (More)
India faces an urban unemployment crisis and a crisis of declining life quality in urban spaces due to a lack of public services and the stress on urban commons. An urban employment guarantee scheme, such as Kerala’s Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (AUEGS), has the potential to address this twin crisis. Although well envisioned, AUEGS has underperformed since its inception, warranting attention. This study uses the capabilities approach to human development to assess AUEGS’ impact on urban commons and on beneficiaries' well-being understood as human freedoms. By employing fieldwork drawing on qualitative methods in Kerala, India, the study shows that although AUEGS guidelines aim to improve beneficiaries’ functionings and capabilities, structural and implementation issues hinder their realisation. While urban commons see improvement, beneficiaries experience a limited expansion of freedoms, and in some instances, further unfreedoms are created. This study also provides certain recommendations that target the identified issues of the scheme. (Less)
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author
Subramanian, Sahana LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20231
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Capabilities, Sustainability Science, Human Freedoms, Kerala, Local Governance, Urban Commons
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2023:009
language
English
additional info
Funding for this thesis is from the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) Fieldwork Grant and the Right Livelihood College (RLC) Fieldwork Grant.
id
9117066
date added to LUP
2023-05-31 10:22:29
date last changed
2023-05-31 10:22:29
@misc{9117066,
  abstract     = {{India faces an urban unemployment crisis and a crisis of declining life quality in urban spaces due to a lack of public services and the stress on urban commons. An urban employment guarantee scheme, such as Kerala’s Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (AUEGS), has the potential to address this twin crisis. Although well envisioned, AUEGS has underperformed since its inception, warranting attention. This study uses the capabilities approach to human development to assess AUEGS’ impact on urban commons and on beneficiaries' well-being understood as human freedoms. By employing fieldwork drawing on qualitative methods in Kerala, India, the study shows that although AUEGS guidelines aim to improve beneficiaries’ functionings and capabilities, structural and implementation issues hinder their realisation. While urban commons see improvement, beneficiaries experience a limited expansion of freedoms, and in some instances, further unfreedoms are created. This study also provides certain recommendations that target the identified issues of the scheme.}},
  author       = {{Subramanian, Sahana}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Expanding freedoms and improving commons through labour: A study of Kerala’s Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}