Pastoralist societies in flux: A conceptual framework analysis of herding and land use among the Mukugodo Maasai of Kenya

Pastoralism

Research, Policy and Practice

Table 1 Alternative designations of pastoral livelihood strategies and opportunities in the global age of pastoralism

Livelihood designation	Residence	Household security	Herd size	Labour and capital	Social welfare	Use of cash	Commercial involvement	Economic diversification	Education
Traditional pastoralists	Mobile	High	Large	Use family labour and gain capital from large herd	Give out large numbers of animals	Minimal	Not active, but have non-commercial investments	Cultivation, milk sales, and exchange pastoralism	Little to none
Marginal pastoralists	Sedentary	Low	Very small	Lack of capital and labour	Usually receive animal gifts from others	Moderate	Not active; labourers not employers	Cultivation, wage labour, seasonal jobs, petty trade, and hired herders	Little to none
Labour migrants	Split home base/place of employment	Moderate	Small	Use family labour when possible; access to cash can generate capital	Usually receive animal gifts from others	High	Not active; use market to generate subsistence	Wage labour, cash livestock trade, and remittances	Some primary
Pastoral quitters	Sedentary	Moderate	Small		Not engaged in gifting or receiving social welfare	High	Active, but only to trade animals for cash in market	Wage labour, trade, small business, or employment	May obtain high level of education
Commercial pastoralists	Sedentary	High	Large		Not engaged in gifting or receiving social welfare	High	Very active, produce livestock for meat trade, offtake high	Fenceless ranching, animal breeding, meat production, use of hired labour to cultivate crops	May obtain high level of education