Download Capabilities Approach

Capabilities Approach
in a nutshell!
capability approach
freedoms of people in this world are
too often restricted
economic factors (poverty)
political factors (oppression, disenfranchisement)
social factors (discrimination)
capability approach
the key to human development is
extending the real freedoms of people
capability approach
freedoms are understood within the
concept of democracy in its broadest
definition
democracy as a system of civil and political
freedoms contingent on collective
responsibilities
capability approach
one should be able to choose which freedoms
to pursue or not pursue
the choice should lie within the individual rather
than on external forces
“I choose to be educated”
“I choose not to be imprisoned for my
political beliefs”
capability approach
ensuring the substantive freedoms of
people to live long and live well
child denied elementary schooling
adult without access to medical treatment
bonded labourer born into semislavery
subjugated girl child stifled by repressive society
landless labourer
anyone living in poverty
capability approach
an approach to human development – the
betterment of humanity – that wants us to
think about whether everyone seeking to
live long and live well actually has the
capability to do so
and if not, then we should look to establish
the freedoms that will allow each to do so
A capabilities approach to measuring
human development is currently
challenging other traditional measures...
Economic measures (GDP/GNP)
focusses only on wealth
fails to measure distribution
Utilitarianism
“happiness” is relative
Operationalizing the
Capabilities Approach
It is because Sen has put forward
an “approach”, rather than a
fully defined substantive
development theory, that his
contribution has proven to be
very useful for many. As an
“approach”, his work became an
invitation for people to use it by
Dr. F. Comin
director,
Capability and Sustainability
Centre,
University of Cambridge
adding their own thoughts and
experience about complex
phenomena.