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Functioning, capability and the standard of living - an axiomatic approach

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  • Yongsheng Xu

    (Department of Economics, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA)

Abstract

The standard of living of an agent is viewed as her capability of achieving various functionings (Sen, 1985, 1987). The agent is thus characterized by her capability set that consists of different functioning vectors. The task of measuring the standard of living of the agent formally is therefore to rank different capability sets. This paper explores the problem of ranking capability sets in terms of the standard of living offered to the agent. For this purpose, we consider capability sets that are non-degenerate, compact, comprehensive and convex subsets of the $n$-dimensional real space, propose several intuitively plausible properties for the ranking and give characterizations of some ranking rules.

Suggested Citation

  • Yongsheng Xu, 2002. "Functioning, capability and the standard of living - an axiomatic approach," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 20(2), pages 387-399.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joecth:v:20:y:2002:i:2:p:387-399
    Note: Received: April 10, 2000; revised version: June 18, 2001
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Xu, Yongsheng & Yoshihara, Naoki, 2013. "Rationality and solutions to nonconvex bargaining problems: Rationalizability and Nash solutions," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 66-70.
    2. Yongsheng Xu & Naoki Yoshihara, 2020. "Nonconvex Bargaining Problems: Some Recent Developments," Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 7-41, November.
    3. Yongsheng Xu & Naoki Yoshihara, 2022. "Bargaining theory over opportunity assignments and the egalitarian solution," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(1), pages 198-219, February.
    4. Krishnakumar, Jaya & Ballon, Paola, 2008. "Estimating Basic Capabilities: A Structural Equation Model Applied to Bolivia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 992-1010, June.
    5. Wulf Gaertner & Yongsheng Xu, 2011. "Reference-dependent rankings of sets in characteristics space," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 37(4), pages 717-728, October.
    6. Vivien Kana-Zeumo & Alexis Tsoukiàs & Blaise Somé, 2014. "A new methodology for multidimensional poverty measurement based on the capability approach," Post-Print hal-01510900, HAL.
    7. Xu, Yongsheng, 2003. "On ranking compact and comprehensive opportunity sets," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 109-119, April.
    8. Rebeca Echávarri & Iñaki Permanyer, 2008. "Ranking profiles of capability sets," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 31(3), pages 521-535, October.
    9. Fabio Boncinelli & Leonardo Casini, 2014. "A Comparison of the Well-Being of Agricultural and Non Agricultural Households Using a Multicriterial Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 183-195, October.
    10. Sakamoto, Norihito, 2017. "Characterizations of Social Choice Correspondences Based on Equality of Capabilities in a Pure Exchange Economy," RCNE Discussion Paper Series 4, Research Center for Normative Economics, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    11. Wulf Gaertner & Yongsheng Xu, 2008. "A new class of measures of the standard of living based on functionings," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 35(2), pages 201-215, May.
    12. Briec, Walter & Dumas, Audrey & Stenger, Agathe, 2013. "On the standard achievement and well-being indexes and their relation to the Hicks–Moorsteen productivity index," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 900-909.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    The standard of living; Capability; Functioning; Ranking capability sets in terms of the standard of living; Quasiordering.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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