Amartya Sen's Capability Research Articles

Beyond Stakeholder Utility Function: Stakeholder Capability in the Value Creation Process

In spite of the thousands of articles on stakeholder theory, research on value creation has had a shorter history and narrower breadth. Only a few studies have researched value creation from stakeholder perspective looking at how stakeholders appropiate value or the processes or activities by which stakeholders create value. Consequently to date, certain questions still remain unanswered regarding how a firm should treat stakeholders in order to create value. Several questions arise specifically from the stakeholder's side: What does "value" mean for a particular group of stakeholders and how do firms create these different types of value? How do we measure the value created by stakeholders? The purpose of this paper is to answer these questions from Amartya Sen's Capability Approach, identifying and measuring stakeholders' capabilities in the value creation process. Stakeholder Capability is the adequate concept for understanding stakeholder welfare rather than the utility function concept. The empirical evidence comes from an in-depth case study of the company The Grobo Group and its stakeholders. According to the results, the following stakeholder capabilities are relevant to value creation: being employable, being autonomus, being innovative, being entreprenurial, being responsive, being socially integrated, being emphatic, being "green" and being healthy.

Environmental justice and health practices: understanding how health inequities arise at the local level

While empirical evidence continues to show that people living in low socio-economic status neighbourhoods are less likely to engage in health-enhancing behaviour, our understanding of why this is so remains less than clear. We suggest that two changes could take place to move from description to understanding in this field; (i) a move away from the established concept of individual health behaviour to a contextualised understanding of health practices; and (ii) a switch from focusing on health inequalities in outcomes to health inequities in conditions. We apply Pierre Bourdieu's theory on capital interaction but find it insufficient with regard to the role of agency for structural change. We therefore introduce Amartya Sen's capability approach as a useful link between capital interaction theory and action to reduce social inequities in health-related practices. Sen's capability theory also elucidates the importance of discussing unequal chances in terms of inequity, rather than inequality, in order to underscore the moral nature of inequalities. We draw on the discussion in social geography on environmental injustice, which also underscores the moral nature of the spatial distribution of opportunities. The article ends by applying this approach to the 'Interdisciplinary study of inequalities in smoking' framework.

Operationalising the capability approach for outcome measurement in mental health research

Amartya Sen's multidimensional capability approach focuses on the importance of freedoms to be or do things people have reason to value. It is an alternative to standard utilitarian welfarism, the theoretical approach to quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and cost-utility analyses. Despite the limitations of the utility approach in capturing non-health benefits and broader welfare inequalities, there have been very limited applications of the capability approach in the mental health context where these issues are imperative.We report the development and application of a multidimensional instrument, the OxCAP-MH, which aims to operationalise the capability approach for outcome measurement in mental health research. The study was carried out as part of an ongoing programme on community coercion experienced by service users with severe and enduring mental illness being treated using Community Treatment Orders. Capabilities data were collected at baseline in the OCTET RCT for 333 ‘revolving door’ mental health service users who were in involuntary hospital treatment at the time of recruitment in England (2008–2011). The research focused on the identification of capabilities domains most affected by mental illness and their association with socio-demographic and clinical factors and other measures of well-being such as the EQ-5D and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scales.The OxCAP-MH item response rate was 90%–68%. There were significant correlations between service users' overall capability scores and the GAF, EQ-5D VAS and EQ-5D-3L utilities (corr = 0.249, 0.514, 0.415, respectively). The most affected capability domains were: ‘Daily activities’, ‘Influencing local decisions’, ‘Enjoying recreation’, ‘Planning one's life’ and ‘Discrimination’. Age had a mixed effect, while female service users and those with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia or longer illness duration reported significantly lower capability scores. The results support the feasibility and validity of directly measuring human capabilities for the mentally ill and the potential for applying the approach to outcome measurement.

Biomedical Enhancements as Justice

Biomedical enhancements, the applications of medical technology to make better those who are neither ill nor deficient, have made great strides in the past few decades. Using Amartya Sen's capability approach as my framework, I argue in this article that far from being simply permissible, we have a prima facie moral obligation to use these new developments for the end goal of promoting social justice. In terms of both range and magnitude, the use of biomedical enhancements will mark a radical advance in how we compensate the most disadvantaged members of society.

SOBRE OS CONCEITOS DE JUSTIÇA E LIBERDADE NAS OBRAS DE SEN E FRASER

O presente artigo discute as semelhanças e as diferenças entre a abordagem das capabilities, de Amartya Sen, e a teoria da justiça como paridade participativa, de Nancy Fraser. Para tanto, reconstrói, em suas linhas gerais, as teorias dos dois autores e examina as críticas de Fraser a Sen, mostrando que estas são equívocas, assim como são equívocas as supostas vantagens que Robeyns aponta na teoria de Sen. Este artigo conclui ressaltando que as duas teorias têm consequências práticas bastante similares, não obstante o fato de uma ser, principalmente, uma teoria do desenvolvimento e a outra ser uma teoria da justiça.

Public services in Erfurt and Frankfurt am Main compared (c. 1890–1914): capabilities in Prussia?

ABSTRACTHow can a modern concept like Amartya Sen's capability approach be introduced in historical studies? One possibility is to ask how public services were implemented in municipal policy and how these services open up capabilities for the individuals of a city. This article uses Sen's theoretical framework as an analytical tool to explore two Prussian towns, Erfurt and Frankfurt am Main, and their public services (job centres and tramway systems) as examples of social policy at the local level.

Capabilities, urban unrest and social enterprise

PurposeIn this article, the aim is to explore the rise of the role of the social enterprise as a “force for good” in the context of social and economic regeneration. Building on the growing importance of the third sector to central government as part of its agenda to diversify the delivery of public services, the paper seeks to question the veracity of the view that social enterprises invariably enable the communities in which they operate.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have developed this conceptual paper by building on the application of Amartya Sen's capabilities approach.FindingsIt is concluded that where social enterprises are contracted to provide services to communities, including those that would previously have been provided by the public sector (within a carefully crafted statutory framework), should have a demonstrable remit for community wide action, as this, it is argued, is more likely to facilitate community wide benefits. Part of any assessment should include, first, the sustainability of the contribution; and second, the extent to which they enable community members to exercise the choice to participate in the mainstream economy and society.Research limitations/implicationsThis theoretical account would benefit from empirical assessment.Practical implicationsThe article is of potential value to policy makers and researchers of social enterprise in urban, multicultural environments.Originality/valueThe article has attempted to use the capabilities approach to reconcile some of the tensions between the rhetoric and reality of social enterprise activity and its value in the context of the regeneration of communities.

Choosing to compromise: women studying childcare

Reporting on a study of mature women training to work in childcare, this article demonstrates how some women choose to be part-time mothers, workers and students, wanting ‘the best of both worlds’. It presents a theory of integrated lives that contrasts with customary deficit models and shows how a series of reciprocal links bind the women's different roles together, introducing an adaptation of Coser's theory of greedy institutions to demonstrate how this is an inherently stable position. Whilst the theory can stand alone, it is usefully recast as a localised example of a capability set as it frames the co-realisable choices open to the women. Making further links with Amartya Sen's capability approach, it is suggested that we should encourage governmental interventions that enable individual choice and support those women who want to integrate their lives alongside those who seek parity in the public sphere.

Educating Capabilities

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes In 2003 Madoko Saito first set out to consider what she termed ‘the underexplored’ relationship between the capability approach and education (Saito, 2003 Saito, M. 2003. Amartya Sen's capability approach to education: A critical exploration. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 37(1): 17–33. (doi:10.1111/1467-9752.3701002)[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Although, Sen, Nussbaum and Gasper had all written about capabilities and education in the 1990s, Saito began a trend for commentators from within education, to consider the scope of the capability approach for questions about education as theory, practice, and a field of empirical research. Some significant milestones in the development of this literature have been a number of edited volumes (Walker and Unterhalter, 2007 Walker, M. and Unterhalter, E. 2007. Sen's Capability Approach and Social Justice in Education, Edited by: Walker, M. and Unterhalter, E. London: Palgrave. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Otto and Ziegler, 2010 Otto, H. and Ziegler, H. 2010. Education, Welfare and the Capabilities Approach. A Euroepan Perspective, Edited by: Otto, H. and Ziegler, H. Opladen: Barbara Budruch Publishers. [Google Scholar]; Biggeri et al., 2011 Biggeri, M., Ballet, J. and Comim, F. 2011. Children and the Capability Approach, Edited by: Biggeri, M., Ballet, J. and Comim, F. London: Palgrave. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Boni and Walker, 2013 Boni, A. and Walker, M. 2013. Human Development and Capabilities: Re-imagining the University of the Twenty First Century, London: Routledge. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) and some special journal issues, notably Studies in the Philosophy of Education (vol. 28, no. 5, 2009), the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities (vol. 13, no. 3, 2012), and the Cambridge Journal of Education (vol. 42, no. 3, 2012). A number of monographs have also been produced. Additional informationNotes on contributorsElaine UnterhalterElaine Unterhalter is Professor of Education and International Development at the Institute of Education, London, UK

REALISING SOCIAL JUSTICE IN PUBLIC HEALTH LAW

Law has played an important, but largely constitutive, role in the development of the public health enterprise. Thus, law has been central to setting up the institutions and offices of public health. The moral agenda has, however, been shaped to a much greater extent by bioethics. While social justice has been placed at the heart of this agenda, we argue that there has been little place within dominant conceptions of social justice for gender equity and women's interests which we see as crucial to a fully realised vision of social justice. We argue that, aside from particular interventions in the field of reproduction, public health practice tends to marginalise women-a claim we support by critically examining strategies to combat the HIV pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. To counter the marginalisation of women's interests, this article argues that Amartya Sen's capabilities approach has much to contribute to the framing of public health law and policy. Sen's approach provides an evaluative and normative framework which recognises the importance of both gender and health equity to achieving social justice. We suggest that domestic law and international human rights provisions, in particular the emerging human right to health, offer mechanisms to promote capabilities, and foster a robust and inclusive conception of social justice.

The capability approach: Enabling musical learning

Amartya Sen's capability approach offers a new perspective for educators throughout the curriculum. This new insight has the potential to promote a music education that is inherently tailored to the individual. In essence it asks the question: What is music education going to offer to this student? This article represents an initial enquiry into the capability approach when applied to music education. With a theoretical understanding of the capability approach its application can provide insight into pupil voice, teacher voice, growing student autonomy and differentiation.

From vagueness to precision: raising the volume on social issues for the water sector

The paper raises the volume on complex social issues that affect water management. The paper proposes Amartya Sen's capability approach (CA) as a suitable framework against which to consider these complex ideals. This is because the CA is attentive to issues of social justice and it addresses a range of intangible goods that contribute to human well-being which are critical if the gap between progressive ideas about water policy and their practical application is to be lessened. We isolate certain attributes within the CA and propose that these attributes are particularly relevant when considering ideas of social justice concerning water. We then conclude that a sharper focus on intangible social issues brings more precision to a water discourse that is all too often vague and fuzzy in its dealings with society.

On considering the application of Amartya Sen's capability approach to an information-based rights framework

We live in an information society, and, resultantly, significant attention is devoted to ensure “information-based rights” are protected among other essential human rights. Fostering and protecting information-based rights is essential to human well being, and the traditional strategies to support these rights focus on ensuring free and unfettered access to information, such as the right to education, the freedom to read, or providing for fair use of copyright-protected works. While ensuring informational goods and services are accessible is necessary for participation in our contemporary information society, we argue, however, that given the complexity of our information environment, additional factors must be considered within any information-based rights framework. Building on Amartya Sen’s capability approach, we suggest that individuals’ ability to access and use information is influenced by their relative capabilities. Those advocating for information-based rights – such as the free software, access to knowledge, and open access movements – must adjust their focus to include not only achieving access, but also the fostering of human capabilities.

A critical note on the role of the capability approach for sustainability economics

Can sustainability economics profit from the fusion with Amartya Sen's capability approach, thereby gaining solid normative foundations and wider applicability? We argue that this fusion is mistaken to the extent that the capability approach is essentially a static normative framework while sustainability economics demands a systematic long-term view with focus on wide-ranging societal change. These demands are best realized by taking an evolutionary perspective that focuses on the evolution and development of societies.

Citizenship and capability? Amartya Sen's capabilities approach from a citizenship perspective

This article deals with the potential contribution of Amartya Sen's capabilities approach (CA) for studying citizenship. Although the CA cannot be described as a genuine citizenship theory it has informed recent attempts to reformulate social citizenship. Moreover, it shares important aims and assumptions with radical citizenship approaches, which emphasise democracy, voice, and difference. Especially, Sen's ideas can help formulate positive notions of equality. However, a fruitful dialogue between those perspectives has to lead over some controversial issues. In this context, this article suggests more substantive notions of agency and interaction as well as integrating rights and rights language.

Social Enterprise and Development Policy: Evidence from Italy

This paper examines the role of social enterprise in relation to the specific features of the Italian socio-economic context. It argues that in this case it is appropriate to discuss the concept of social enterprise within the theoretical framework of human development and Amartya Sen's capability approach. The focus is thus an analysis of the evolution of social enterprises in Italy, and social co-operatives in particular, in pursuit of two aims. On the one hand, the study shows the importance of the social economy in the Italian regions with regard to the welfare system and development policies; on the other, it outlines both the positive and the disappointing aspects of policies implemented at central and local level. Finally, the conclusions indicate both the institutional dynamics that could strengthen social enterprise in Italy and the potential contribution of these enterprises to the economic and human development of the poorer southern regions.

Decoding the European dynamic employment security indicator through the lens of the capability approach. A comparison of the United Kingdom and Sweden

The balance between flexibility and security on the labour market has since 2007 become a priority on the European Union’s agenda. The efforts of Member States are assessed by means of performance indicators. This article focuses on the dynamic employment security indicator, in an attempt to highlight what the EU’s Employment Committee means by the notion of ‘making people’s pathways more secure’. With both empirical and theoretical perspectives in mind, we seek to reveal the postulates behind the decisions of those who designed this indicator. Drawing on an epistemological analysis founded on Amartya Sen’s capability approach, and in particular on his key idea of the ‘informational basis of judgement’, this article identifies the normative thread of this indicator, which gives flexibility precedence over real freedom for workers, and employability precedence over capability. Our case studies of Sweden and the United Kingdom demonstrate the key effects of institutional systems, shed light on practices whereby labour market policies can be manipulated to optimize the performance of the dynamic employment security indicator, and cast doubt on the relevance of institutionalized benchmarking using this indicator. Depuis 2007, la question de l’équilibre entre flexibilité et sécurité sur le marché du travail est devenue une des priorités de l’agenda de l’Union Européenne. Les efforts des Etats-Membres sont évalués au moyen d’indicateurs de performance. L’article se focalise sur l’indicateur dynamique de sécurité d’emploi afin de mettre en lumière le contenu concret que le Comité de l’emploi de la Commission européenne donne à la notion de sécurisation des parcours professionnels. S’inscrivant dans une double ambition empirique et théorique l’article vise à révéler les postulats sous jacents aux choix des concepteurs de cet indicateur. A partir d’une analyse épistémologique fondée sur l’approche par les capacités d’Amartya Sen, et notamment sur l’idée centrale de « base informationnelle de jugement » il identifie la trame normative de cet indicateur qui privilégie flexibilité plutôt que liberté réelle des travailleurs et employabilité plutôt que capacité. L’analyse des cas suédois et britannique montre l’importance des effets de système des institutions, éclaire des pratiques d’instrumentalisation des politiques du marché du travail visant à optimiser la performance de l’indicateur dynamique de sécurité d’emploi et met en doute la pertinence du benchmarking institutionnalisé au travers de cet indicateurs. Der Ausgleich zwischen Flexibilität und Sicherheit auf dem Arbeitsmarkt gehört seit 2007 zu den Prioritäten der Europäischen Union. Die Anstrengungen der Mitgliedstaaten in diesem Bereich werden anhand von Leistungsindikatoren bewertet. Dieser Beitrag befasst sich mit dem dynamischen Indikator für Arbeitsplatzsicherheit und versucht zu ermitteln, was der EU-Beschäftigungsausschuss unter dem Begriff der “Sicherung von Erwerbsverläufen” versteht. Er analysiert empirisch und theoretisch, auf welche Postulate sich die Entscheidungen derjenigen stützen, die diesen Indikator erarbeitet haben. Ausgehend von einer epistemologischen Analyse, die sich auf den Ansatz der Verwirklichungschancen von Amartya Sen und insbesondere auf sein Konzept der “Informationsbasis für die Beurteilung” stützt, wird zunächst die normative Grundlage dieses Indikators herausgestellt, der Flexibilität Vorrang vor realer Freiheit für Arbeitnehmer und Beschäftigungsfähigkeit Vorrang vor Verwirklichungschancen gibt. Anhand von Fallstudien aus Schweden und dem Vereinigten Königreich werden die wichtigsten Auswirkungen institutioneller Systeme dargestellt und es wird gezeigt, wie arbeitsmarktpolitische Maßnahmen manipuliert werden können, um bei dem dynamischen Indikator für Arbeitsplatzsicherheit eine bessere Leistung zu erzielen. Insofern sind Zweifel angebracht, ob institutionalisierte Benchmarking-Verfahren, die sich auf diesen Indikator stützen, relevant sind.

The Capability Approach: Insights for a New Poverty Focus

AbstractThe concepts of poverty, social exclusion and deprivation are widely employed but often problematic. This paper discusses some problems with prominent interpretations of these concepts and how Amartya Sen's capability approach can provide a conceptual framework that can overcome these problems. It is argued that the capability approach can reflect the many ways that human lives are blighted and that it thus offers a promising framework for poverty analysis. Six insights for poverty analysis provided by the capability approach are discussed.

The neglected dimension of well-being: Analyzing the development of “conversion efficiency” in Great Britain

In Amartya Sen's capability approach, policy makers can focus on different levels to influence the well-being of a society. A dimension that is usually neglected is improving individuals’ “conversion efficiency”, i.e. the efficiency with which individual resources are converted into well-being. To examine effects of policies on (the development of) this measure we suggest an intertemporal index of conversion efficiency estimated via a nonparametric order- m approach. The approach is exemplified using data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) from 1991 to 2006. We find that over this time horizon between 24% and 29% of individuals were efficient in their conversion of resources into well-being. Moreover, age and self-employment increase an individual's conversion efficiency, while living in London, being disabled and being separated, divorced or widowed all decrease conversion efficiency. Being married also decreases the conversion efficiency and we find few evidence of gender disparities in conversion efficiency.

The capability approach as a tool for development evaluation – analyzing students’ use of internet resources

Internet resources have been ascribed transformative powers in the development of educational organizations and students in developing regions. However, most development projects relating to Internet resources focus on publishing material without much analysis of the actual use. The question then is how we can go deeper in our analysis and study actual development outcomes. The analysis in this paper is based on Amartya Sen's Capability Approach, where both the means and ends are evaluated. The research question is “What are the benefits of using Amartya Sen's Capability Approach when evaluating development outcomes?”. We answer the question by evaluating what capabilities and functionings Internet resources can enable for students in higher education. Findings show that the Capability Approach enables us to gain a deeper understanding of why and how development outcomes are achieved. We are also able to follow the development process from the intervention to the realized outcomes. Annika Andersson, Åke Grönlund and Gudrun Wicander are the accepting Guest Editors for this article.