The Capability Approach is a conceptual framework developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum for evaluating social states in terms of human well-being (welfare). It emphasizes functional capabilities ("substantial freedoms", such as the ability to live to old age, engage in economic transactions, or participate in political activities); these are construed in terms of the substantive freedoms people have reason to value, instead of utility (happiness, desire-fulfilment or choice) or access to resources (income, commodities, assets). Poverty is understood as capability-deprivation. It is noteworthy that the emphasis is not only on how human beings actually function but on their having the capability, which is a practical choice, to function in important ways if they so wish. Someone could be deprived of such capabilities in many ways, e.g. by ignorance, government oppression, lack of financial resources, or false consciousness. Used in research to outline possible courses of action or present a preferred approach to a system analysis project. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Martha Nussbaum Martha Nussbaum (born Martha Craven on May 6, 1947) is an American philosopher, with a particular interest in ancient philosophy, political philosophy and ethics. ... Although the term social is a crucial category in social science and often used in public discourse, its meaning is often vague, suggesting that it is a fuzzy concept. ... The well-being or quality of life of a population is an important concern in economics and political science. ... Generally, functional refers to something with and able to fulfill its purpose or function. ... In economics, utility is a measure of the relative happiness or satisfaction (gratification) gained. ... “Happy” redirects here. ... Choice consists of the mental process of thinking involved with the process of judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one of them for action. ... Income, generally defined, is the money that is received as a result of the normal business activities of an individual or a business. ... In business and accounting an asset is anything owned which can produce future economic benefit, whether in possession or by right to take possession, by a person or a group acting together, e. ...

This approach to human well-being emphasises the importance of freedom of choice, individual heterogeneity and the multi-dimensional nature of welfare. In significant respects, the approach is consistent with the handling of choice within conventional micro-economics consumer theory although its conceptual foundations enable it to acknowledge the existence of claims, like rights, which lexicographically dominate utility based claims (see Sen (1979)).

The approach is first fully articulated in Sen (1985) and discussed in Sen and Nussbaum (1993). Applications to development are discussed in Sen (1999), Nussbaum (2000), Alkire (2002) and Clark (2002, 2005), to health in a special issue of Social Science and Medicine edited by Anand P and Dolan P (2005) and to the econometrics of social indicators/policy by Anand P Hunter G and Smith R (2005) and Kuklys (2005).

This approach contrasts with a common view that sees development purely in terms of GNP growth, and poverty purely as income-deprivation. It has been highly influential in development policy where it has shaped the evolution of the human development index HDI has been much discussed in philosophy and is increasingly influential in a range of social sciences. The UN Human Development Index (HDI) measures poverty, literacy, education, life expectancy, and other factors. ...

References

• Alkire, S. (2002). Valuing Freedoms: Sen's Capability Approach and Poverty Reduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Anand P, Hunter G and Smith R, 2005, Capabilities and Wellbeing: Evidence Based on the Sen-Nussbaum Approach to Welfare, Social Indicators Research, 79, 9-55.

• Clark, David A. (2002) Visions of Development: A Study of Human Values (Edward Elgar, Cheltenham).

• Clark, David A. (2005) 'Capability Approach' in D. A. Clark (ed.) (forthcoming 2006) The Elgar Companion to Development Studies (Edward Elgar, Cheltenham). Draft available online at http://www.gprg.org/pubs/workingpapers/pdfs/gprg-wps-032.pdf

• Kuklys, Wiebke (2005) Amartya Sen's capability Approach: Theoretical Insights and Empirical Applications (Springer, Berlin).

• Nussbaum, Martha C. (2000) Women and Human Development: The Capabilities Approach (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge).
• Nussbaum, Martha C. and Amartya Sen, eds. (1993). "The Quality of Life" Oxford: Clarendon Press. (Google book preview)
• Sen, Amartya K. (1979) 'Utilitarianism and Welfarism', The Journal of Philosophy, LXXVI (1979), 463-489.

• _____(1985). Commodities and Capabilities. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (OUP description)

• _____ (1999). Development As Freedom. New York: Knopf. (Google book preview)

External links

• Human Development and Capability Association
• Journal of Human Development
• "Justice Across Boundaries" Radio interview with Martha Nussbaum on Philosophy Talk