Economic anthropology insight: narratives of livelihood exploration from fieldwork experience in Goderich-Sierra Leone

Abstract

This qualitative research championed through participant observation has made it possible for thought-provoking views to be explored in understanding residents' reason(s) for adopting identified strategies in diversifying their sustained state of well-being. The field exercise, which was undertaken in Goderich has provided simplified narratives of the community's historical background, with concerns about livelihood choices and risks to the environmental. The study outcome shows that the pursuit of exploring livelihood choices is detrimental to the environment owing to voracious activities like sandmining and stone-quarrying people utilise to sustain lives. The study concludes, with some proffered suggestions the importance of building transforming structures through means of effective regulations or policies to minimise destruction to the environment, with implications for climate change. Finally, the study outcome also recommends the embracement of identified/specific strategies to improve well-beingincorporating various attributes aimed at combating vulnerabilities associated with the over-exploitation of livelihood assets in Goderich.