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Capability, Opportunity, Outcome - - And Equality

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  • Kanbur, Ravi

Abstract

Two fundamental attributes of the capability approach are (i) a broadening of the evaluation space from the instrumental means such as income to the intrinsic ends of beings and doings, or functionings; and (ii) the further broadening of evaluation from achievement of ends to opportunity to achieve those ends—from functionings to capabilities. This paper accepts the first broadening but presents a critique of the opportunity perspective in capability theory, using as a platform a critique of recent work on inequality of opportunity. The paper argues that similar critiques of concept and empirical application apply to capability analysis as an analysis and an evaluation of opportunity. Perhaps for this reason, much of the practical implementation of capability theory ends up by in fact focusing only on outcomes in functionings space, with only a loose link to opportunity.

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  • Kanbur, Ravi, 2016. "Capability, Opportunity, Outcome - - And Equality," Working Papers 250027, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:cudawp:250027
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.250027
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kanbur, Ravi, 2015. "Education For Climate Justice," Working Papers 250015, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    2. Ravi Kanbur & Adam Wagstaff, 2016. "How Useful Is Inequality of Opportunity as a Policy Construct?," International Economic Association Series, in: Kaushik Basu & Joseph E. Stiglitz (ed.), Inequality and Growth: Patterns and Policy, chapter 4, pages 131-150, Palgrave Macmillan.
    3. Ravi Kanbur & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2016. "Dynastic inequality, mobility and equality of opportunity," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 14(4), pages 419-434, December.
    4. Saavedra-Chanduví, Jaime & Molinas, José R. & De Barros, Ricardo Paes & Ferreira, Francisco H. G., 2009. "Measuring Inequality of Opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 361, November.
    5. Alkire, Sabina & Foster, James & Seth, Suman & Santos, Maria Emma & Roche, Jose Manuel & Ballon, Paola, 2015. "Multidimensional Poverty Measurement and Analysis," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199689491.
    6. Francisco H. G. Ferreira & Jérémie Gignoux, 2011. "The Measurement Of Inequality Of Opportunity: Theory And An Application To Latin America," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 57(4), pages 622-657, December.
    7. Paul Hufe & Andreas Peichl & John Roemer & Martin Ungerer, 2017. "Inequality of income acquisition: the role of childhood circumstances," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 49(3), pages 499-544, December.
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    9. Ferreira, Francisco H. G. & Peragine, Vito, 2015. "Equality of Opportunity: Theory and Evidence," IZA Discussion Papers 8994, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Anthony B Atkinson & François Bourguignon, 2014. "Handbook of Income Distribution," Post-Print halshs-02923231, HAL.
    11. Judith Niehues & Andreas Peichl, 2014. "Upper bounds of inequality of opportunity: theory and evidence for Germany and the US," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 43(1), pages 73-99, June.
    12. Francisco H.G. Ferreira & Jérémie Gignoux, 2011. "The Measurement of Inequality of Inequality of Opportunity: Theory and an Application to Latin America," Post-Print halshs-00754503, HAL.
    13. Prasanta K. PATTANAIK & Yongsheng XU, 1990. "On Ranking Opportunity Sets in Terms of Freedom of Choice," Discussion Papers (REL - Recherches Economiques de Louvain) 1990036, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    14. Ravi Kanbur, 2016. "The End of Laissez-Faire, the End of History, and the Structure of Scientific Revolutions," Challenge, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(1), pages 35-46, January.
    15. Ravi Kanbur, 2017. "Of consequentialism, its critics, and the critics of its critics," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(2), pages 204-210, April.
    16. Sabina Alkire, James E. Foster, Suman Seth, Maria Emma Santos, Jose M. Roche and Paola Ballon, 2015. "Multidimensional Poverty Measurement and Analysis: Chapter 9 - Distribution and Dynamics," OPHI Working Papers ophiwp090_ch9.pdf, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
    17. François Bourguignon & Francisco H. G. Ferreira & Marta Menéndez, 2007. "Inequality Of Opportunity In Brazil," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 53(4), pages 585-618, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Paul Anand & Swati Saxena & Rolando Gonzales Martinez & Hai-Anh H. Dang, 2020. "Can Women’s Self-help Groups Contribute to Sustainable Development? Evidence of Capability Changes from Northern India," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(2), pages 137-160, April.
    2. Anjan Ray Chaudhury & Dipankar Das & Sreemanta Sarkar, 2023. "Complementarity in Demand-side Variables and Educational Participation," Papers 2303.04647, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2023.
    3. Anand, Paul & Jones, Sam & Donoghue, Matthew & Tietler, Julien, 2021. "Non-monetary poverty and deprivation: a capability approach," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103168, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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