Gender, class, ecological decline, and livelihood strategies : a case study of Siquijor Island, The Philippines

Specific issues discussed include: (1) resource decline and issues of sustainability in the two communities; (2) household livelihood systems and stratification; (3) gender and class patterns of resource management; (4) community responses to challenging resource conditions; (5) links between household and community in assuring livelihoods; and (6) policy and research implications. Findings point to a critical linkage between gender and class formation and suggest that gender and class must be joined conceptually in analyzing rural communities in the Philippines. The study revealed: (1) a negative impact on gender roles and relations within poorer households, as their members enter the modern cash economy; (2) a reliance on social exchange networks which may be detrimental to the long-term preservation of the natural resource base; (3) the resilience and usefulness of indigenous groups, which are normally structured around gender and class interests; and (4) the integral role of migration for both men and women in the livelihood systems of the rural communities. Appendices contain a discussion of methods for gender-focused research in the Philippines and a sample of the survey used in this study.