Citizenship and capability? Amartya Sen's capabilities approach from a citizenship perspective
In: Citizenship studies, Band 16, Heft 2, S. 241-254
ISSN: 1469-3593
In: Citizenship studies, Band 16, Heft 2, S. 241-254
ISSN: 1469-3593
In: Peripherie: Politik, Ökonomie, Kultur, Band 27, Heft 107, S. 250-268
ISSN: 0173-184X
The aim of this article is to lay down the foundations of a critical sociology of democracy and participation. Based on Amartya Sen's capability approach, we identify four major pitfalls of classical theories on justice and deliberative democracy: 1) an excessive emphasis on the procedural dimension of democracy at the expense of its substantial value; 2) an ideal of deliberation that does not sufficiently account for the inequalities that characterize actual participative practices; 3) an ideal approach to rationality which is inconsistent with the plurality of reasons to value and arguments that can be observed in social reality; and 4) a focus on official or institutionalized forms of deliberation that does not pay due attention to the many forms and dynamics of participation. We contend that, by contrast, Sen's epistemology may be fruitful for the development of a critical sociology of democracy and suggest an agenda for empirical research on participation and deliberative practices.
BASE
In this paper, we elaborate on a theory of an evolutionary political economy capable of accommodating the issue of cultural justice by taking seriously the redistribution–recognition dilemma, a normative analysis of which has been put forth by Nancy Fraser. While accepting Fraser's articulation of the dilemma, we resist her concluding that Sen's capability approach is insensitive to cultural justice or the recognition of difference. There is no automatic guarantee, yet an intermediate theory of recognition or cultural justice could in theory be brought to bear on what is, after all, 'a framework'. We argue that Fraser's analysis is well suited to be such an intermediate theory, and propose a theoretical device for an evolutional perspective on redistribution and recognition. We concentrate on identifying the stage of the market process at which policy intervenes to remedy redistribution, and the stage of the communication process at which policy intervenes to remedy recognition. Interventions at the entrance stages of both processes are relatively effective and one possibility for such an intervention is to propose Basic Income, which would make it not inconsistent with the capability approach, even though this approach neither directly suggests such a policy not excludes others.
BASE
SSRN
Working paper
Im zweiten Armuts- und Reichtumsbericht wurde der Ansatz der Verwirklichungschancen ("Capabilities") des Ökonomie-Nobelpreisträgers Amartya Sen als neue konzeptionelle Grundlage angekündigt. Wir erörtern knapp, inwiefern Sens ethisch fundierter Ansatz eine zielführende Konzeption für die deutsche Armuts- und Reichtumsberichterstattung darstellt und skizzieren wesentliche Bestimmungsgründe der Verwirklichungschancen. Am Beispiel eines eigenen Indikatorenkonzepts auf der Grundlage der aktuellen Welle 2004 des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP) beleuchten wir diese Bestimmungsgründe sowie einige wesentliche sozialpolitische Schlussfolgerungen mit empirischen deskriptiven Ergebnissen. Ein besonderer Vorzug des Konzepts gegenüber bisherigen Methoden ist das stimmige Zusammenspiel ethischer Gerechtigkeitspositionen mit wirtschafts- und sozialwissenschaftlichen Ansätzen sowie empirischen Konkretisierungen. Auf dieser Grundlage können Ausgrenzung und Privilegierung gesellschaftlicher Gruppen geeignet erfasst und notwendige Aspekte des Gender Mainstreaming im Kontext von Armut und Reichtum berücksichtigt werden. Die Weite des Konzepts kann zur Versachlichung der Diskussion beitragen sowie für sozialpolitische Maßnahmen wichtige Zusammenhänge zwischen finanziellen und nichtfinanziellen Beeinträchtigungen und Privilegien erhellen. ; The capability approach of Amartya Sen, who received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1998, has recently been announced as a new conceptual framework of the German Federal Government's official Poverty and Wealth Reports. Hence, we will discuss the suitability of Sen's approach to reach the goals of these reports. Moreover, we will briefly explain the main determinants of capabilities in this context. In taking our indicator set that is based on the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) 2004 as an example, we can describe empirical features of these determinants and draw some consequences for social policy. Sen's capability approach highlights the harmonious interplay between ethical theories of justice, economics, and social science as well as empirical applications. Therefore, it seems to be promising to combine Sen's capability approach with German "Lebenslagen-approaches" that are very similar. This combination enables a deeper analysis of political and social participation and includes German approaches into international debates. Further steps will make it possible to formulate capabilities more precisely.
BASE
In: Journal of international development: the journal of the Development Studies Association, Band 22, Heft 5, S. 674-692
ISSN: 1099-1328
AbstractIdentifying the particular contribution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to specific development goals has proven to be extremely difficult. This paper argues that instead of trying to make ICTs fit with a linear conceptualisation of impacts and an often economistic view of development, the field of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) should be used as a prime example of a development process which has to be analysed in a systemic and holistic way. Amartya Sen's capability approach offers a way of thinking about development not as economic growth, but as individual freedom. The Choice Framework is presented as a way of operationalising this approach and visualising the elements of a systemic conceptualisation of the development process. An individual case study, related to telecentres in rural Chile, is used to demonstrate the way the Choice Framework can be applied as a guide to a systemic and holistic analysis. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In: Rethinking International Development series
In: Springer eBooks
In: Political Science and International Studies
1. The Human Development and Capability Approach – The Role of Empowerment and Participation -- 2. The Practice of Participation and the Capability Approach -- 3. Power and Deliberative Participation in Sen's Capability Approach -- 4. Balancing Pessimism of the Intellect and Optimism of the Will: Some Reflections on the Capability Approach, Gender, Empowerment and Education -- 5. Notions of Empowerment and Participation: Contributions from and to the Capability Approach -- 6. Process and Outcomes: participation and empowerment in a multidimensional poverty framework -- 7. Participatory Development: A Sustainable Approach for Reducing Inequality and Fighting Poverty? The Example of Disability Policies in Afghanistan -- 8. Children and Youth Participation in Decision Making and Research Processes -- 9. The Integrated Capabilities Framework: Exploring Multiculturalism and Human Well-Being in Participatory Settings -- 10. Participatory Research Methods and the Capability Approach: Researching the Housing Dimensions of Squatter Upgrading Programmes in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil -- 11. Participatory Monitoring of Development Projects in the South Pacific -- 12. Planning and Managing for Human Development: What Contribution Can the Capability Approach Make? -- 13. Emancipatory Research as Empowerment: An Illustration from a Research Study of Persons with Disabilities in Palestine -- 14. Capability Development and Decentralisation -- 15. Participation, Empowerment and Capabilities: Key Lessons and Future Challenges
"Modern work on the 'capability approach' (or 'capabilities approach') dates from Amartya Sen's 1979 Tanner Lecture on 'Equality of What?' which addressed a central question for egalitarians: what should egalitarians seek to equalise? In this context Sen suggested that 'what is missing in all this ... is some notion of "basic capabilities": a person being able to do certain basic things' (Sen 1982: 367). This insight was further developed in Sen's writings on development, normative economics and moral and political philosophy. Martha Nussbaum's engagement with Sen's work and her endorsement of the approach also contributed to the expansion of interest in this area. Subsequently, the approach has inspired a large and growing literature across many disciplines, encompassing both theoretical and empirical domains, and including work which is relevant to policy makers"--
World Affairs Online
In: Social Inclusion, Band 5, Heft 2, S. 150-158
Despite the global diffusion of the term social inclusion, as well as the use of sport to promote it, questions have been raised regarding the extent to which sport is able to contribute to transforming the exclusive nature of the social structure. The lack of analytical clarity of the concept has not helped to address these questions. This article proposes a conceptual framework based on Amartya Sen's capability approach, considering social exclusion as the denial of social relations that leads to serious deprivation of important capabilities. A person's capabilities could potentially be improved through micro-, meso-, and macro-level social processes. At the micro level, sport-based social inclusion programmes could offer such social relations to varying degrees, though sport's values are only relative to other leisure activities. The scale of impact depends primarily on the meso-level processes, in which the size and quality of each programme can be improved through organisational learning, and secondarily on the macro-level processes whereby the organisational population is institutionalised. It is argued that more research needs to be done on the meso and macro levels, as they are concerned with the ultimate potential of sport to facilitate structural transformation towards more socially inclusive society.
Fundamental questions in value sensitive design include whether and how high-tech products/artefacts could embody values and ethical ideals, and how plural and incommensurable values of ethical and social importance could be chosen rationally and objectively at a collective level. By using a humanitarian cargo drone study as a starting point, this paper tackles the challenges that VSD's lack of commitment to a specific ethical theory generates in practical applications. Besides, it highlights how mainstream ethical approaches usually related to VSD are incapable of solving main ethical dilemmas raised by technological design for well-being in democratic settings. Accordingly, it is argued that VSD's ethical-democratic import would substantially be enhanced by the espousal of a procedural ethics stance and the deliberative approach to value and welfare entailed by Amartya Sen's capability approach. Differently from rival ethical–political theories, its normative and meta-ethical foundations better handle human diversity, value-goal pluralism, conflicting vested interests as well as the epistemic-moral disagreements typical of contemporary complex democracies. Particularly, Sen's capability approach procedural-deliberative tenets result in an "objective-impartial" choice procedure selecting a "hierarchy" of plural incommensurable values and rational goals thus, suitable to validate an applied science such as welfare-oriented technological design in concrete social environments. Conclusions suggest that refining VSD with a capability-based procedural approach to ethics fosters the concern for democracy and social justice while preserving vital scientific-technical standards. Major advantages are at an applied level to delivering ethically and socially justified, but yet highly functional technologies and high-tech products/artefacts.
BASE
In: Journal of information policy: JIP, Band 9, Heft 1, S. 132-147
ISSN: 2158-3897
Abstract
"Who are you?" This request for narrative in the testimony of refugees poses the problem of how refugees can define their identity. This determination is the result of a process influenced by external input, where media representations play a central role. This article aims to reflect on the relationship between the process of the recognition of refugees and the act of narration, based on the conceptual bridge between Paul Ricoeur's theoretical thought and Amartya Sen's capability approach.
In: Journal of information policy: JIP, Band 9, S. 132-147
ISSN: 2158-3897
Abstract
"Who are you?" This request for narrative in the testimony of refugees poses the problem of how refugees can define their identity. This determination is the result of a process influenced by external input, where media representations play a central role. This article aims to reflect on the relationship between the process of the recognition of refugees and the act of narration, based on the conceptual bridge between Paul Ricoeur's theoretical thought and Amartya Sen's capability approach.
Drawing on the fields of ethics, economics and international law, this text provides a cross-disciplinary framework for thinking about poverty and human rights, in which Vizard shows how the work of Amartya Sen has expanded and deepened human rights discourse across traditional disciplinary divides.
Drawing on the fields of ethics, economics and international law, this text provides a cross-disciplinary framework for thinking about poverty and human rights, in which Vizard shows how the work of Amartya Sen has expanded and deepened human rights discourse across traditional disciplinary divides