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Capabilities: the Concept and its Operationalisation

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  • Ruhi Saith

Abstract

Amartya Sen introduced the Capability approach in 1979 as a more appropriate theory of justice than existing theories in moral philosophy. The main features of the Capabilities approach and its operationalisation in the context of poverty analysis are discussed in this paper. The three broad approaches to operationalisation i.e. evaluation in the functionings space, in the functionings space combined with the income space, or the income space supplemented by functionings information, are outlined. The paper restricts itself to the functionings space and therefore concentrates on the first of these. Issues pertaining to the assessment of capabilities as well as assessment restricted to the chosen functioning vector, selection of capabilities/functionings to be assessed, and possible procedures that may be used for inter-personal comparisons are discussed. Concentrating on operationalisation in developing countries, lists of 'basic' capabilities developed by different researchers, using differing methodologies are compared. The comparison indicates that capabilities related to health, nutrition and education consistently appear in all the lists, despite the different criteria for inclusion, reflecting their importance for any capabilities based investigation of poverty.

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  • Ruhi Saith, "undated". "Capabilities: the Concept and its Operationalisation," QEH Working Papers qehwps66, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
    • Handle: RePEc:qeh:qehwps:qehwps66
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    2. Sen, Amartya, 1988. "The concept of development," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Hollis Chenery & T.N. Srinivasan (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 1, pages 9-26, Elsevier.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ruhi Saith, "undated". "Social Exclusion: the Concept and Application to Developing Countries," QEH Working Papers qehwps72, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
    2. Vivien Kana Zeumo & Blaise Some & Alexis Tsoukiàs, 2011. "A survey on Multidimensional Poverty Measurement: a Decision Aiding Perspective," Working Papers hal-00875525, HAL.
    3. Adama Zerbo, 2002. "Une approche non probabiliste d'analyse de la dynamique multidimensionnelle du bien-être. Pauvreté, vulnérabilité et exclusion," Documents de travail 70, Groupe d'Economie du Développement de l'Université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV.
    4. Paola Ballon, 2013. "The selection of functionings and capabilities : A survey of empirical studies," Working Papers PMMA 2013-09, PEP-PMMA.
    5. Patricia Justino & Julie Litchfield & Yoko Niimi, 2004. "Multidimensional Inequality: An Empirial Application to Brazil," PRUS Working Papers 24, Poverty Research Unit at Sussex, University of Sussex.
    6. Andrés Mideros & Franziska Gassmann, 2021. "Fostering social mobility. The case of the Bono de Desarrollo Humano in Ecuador," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(4), pages 385-404, October.
    7. Caterina Ruggeri Laderchi & Ruhi Saith & Frances Stewart, 2003. "Does it Matter that we do not Agree on the Definition of Poverty? A Comparison of Four Approaches," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(3), pages 243-274.
    8. Stefan Buzar, 2006. "Estimating The Extent Of Domestic Energy Deprivation Through Household Expenditure Surveys," Journal Articles, Center For Economic Analyses, pages 1-14, December.
    9. Adama Zerbo, 2003. "Pauvreté urbaine au Burkina-Faso : une exploitation de la complémentarité empirique des approches de l'utilité et des capabilités," Documents de travail 80, Groupe d'Economie du Développement de l'Université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV.
    10. de Vries, Bert J.M. & Petersen, Arthur C., 2009. "Conceptualizing sustainable development: An assessment methodology connecting values, knowledge, worldviews and scenarios," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(4), pages 1006-1019, February.
    11. Abu Hena Reza, 2011. "Cultural Change for Aspiration Adaptation: Role of NGO’s in Rural Bangladesh," Journal of Social and Development Sciences, AMH International, vol. 1(1), pages 36-47.
    12. Stefan Bouzarovski & Saska Petrova & Sergio Tirado-Herrero, 2014. "From Fuel Poverty to Energy Vulnerability: The Importance of Services, Needs and Practices," SPRU Working Paper Series 2014-25, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    13. Gough, Ian, 2003. "Lists and thresholds: comparing our theory of human need with Nussbaum's capabilities approach," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 36659, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    14. Distaso, Alba, 2007. "Well-being and/or quality of life in EU countries through a multidimensional index of sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 163-180, October.

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