Research Project of the Research Team 1 of RP 3:

Employment, empowerment and living standard

In line with Amartya Sen's Capability Approach, the labour market and the nature of employment are essentially important for the successful realisation of capabilities into functioning. Available employment opportunities determine to what extend specific individual capabilities, e.g. a higher level of education, may create job satisfaction and professional fulfilment. This research project therefore analyses these factors' single and collective relevance as well as their interrelatedness and their relation with employment. It pays special attention to specific social and cultural aspects and focuses on three research questions:

1. How and through which channels do employment, empowerment and living standards in developing countries correlate?
   
2. What conclusions can be drawn regarding the definition of 'decent' or beneficial employment/work?
   
3. Which suggestions can be derived from these causal relationships and definitions towards the improvement of the existing MDG (Millennium Development Goals) indicators?

These questions will be addressed through the quantitative analysis of existing household data and qualitative methods, e.g. life and employment histories, open interview and focus-group discussions (in cooperation with local partners). Fieldwork will take place in three countries (Sri Lanka, Burkina Faso and Uganda) in order to facilitate cross-country studies. Cooperation partners for the entire project are the German Development Bank (KfW) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Researchers:

Lay, Jann, Jun.-Prof. Dr.
Giesbert, Lena
Neff, Daniel, Dr.
Linde, Sarah
Monteith, Will
Prediger, Sebastian