Dynamics of livelihood assets and conditional factors influencing productivity enhancement among disadvantaged households in Srinakarin District, Phatthalung Province

Abstract

This qualitative study aims to explain the dynamics of livelihood assets and the conditional factors influencing productivity enhancement among disadvantaged households in Srinakarin District, Phatthalung Province. Data were collected from disadvantaged households, a community leader, local intermediaries, and relevant government officials using focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and non-participant observation. Content analysis was employed, and data credibility was ensured through triangulation of data collection methods, researchers, and data sources, as well as member checking. The findings reveal that disadvantaged households face multidimensional constraints in their livelihood assets, particularly social and financial assets, which function as structural barriers to accessing to opportunities and supportive resources. These constraints, in turn, limit their capacity to enhance productivity. Nevertheless, such households possess certain latent capacities, including the intensive use of small-scale agricultural land, the accumulation of farming experience, and the presence of younger household members who can access digital technologies and information. These capacities can serve as compensatory mechanisms that help offset existing constraints. In addition, training plays a crucial role as a mechanism linking human assets to productivity by enhancing technical knowledge, reducing information asymmetries, and strengthening rational decision-making. Productivity improvement, therefore, does not depend solely on the volume of assets, but rather on households’ ability to convert these assets under varying structural constraints and contextual conditions.  The results point to the need for integrated policy interventions that simultaneously reduce and manage structural constraints while strengthening households’ capacity for asset conversion. This can be achieved through human asset development, improved access to context-appropriate technologies, and the strengthening of social networks, thereby enabling sustainable productivity enhancement within the context of rural vulnerability in Thailand.