BEC 4241 - Capability Approach PDF

28/05/2024 FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT & FINANCE UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO BBA (Semester VII) – 2024 BEC 4241 – Development Economics Capabilities and Human Development...

28/05/2024 FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT & FINANCE UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO BBA (Semester VII) – 2024 BEC 4241 – Development Economics Capabilities and Human Development Sajitha Dishanka, PhD (UTokyo) 1 Key Features of Human Development Paradigm 1. Development is analyzed and understood in terms of people. 2. Two aspects of human development – Formation of human capabilities – Equitable access to human opportunities 3. HD paradigm embraces all of society, not just economy. 4. People are both the means and the ends of development. 5. Essential pillars of HD are equity, efficiency, empowerment and sustainability. 2 2 1  28/05/2024 Essential Pillars of Human Development Efficiency Equity Empowerment Optimal use of existing Distributive justice People act as agents, resources to expand between groups such individually and as capabilities in order to as women, ethnic groups. The freedom reach goals of individuals minorities and other to make decisions in and communities disadvantaged matters that affect their lives Sustainability Outcomes of the process should bring in improvements in social, political and financial spheres of human life that endures over time 3 3 The Capability Approach A broad normative framework for – the evaluation and assessment of individual well- being and social arrangements, – the design of policies and proposals about social change in society. It provides the theoretical foundations of the human development paradigm. It is not a theory that can explain poverty, inequality or well-being. 4 4 2  28/05/2024 The Capability Approach The core characteristic of the capability approach is its focus on what people are effectively able to do and to be; that is, on their capabilities. The approach in its present form has been pioneered by the economist and philosopher Amartya Sen and has more recently been significantly further developed by a growing number of philosophers and scholars. 5 5 Sen’s Freedom-based Capability Approach Personal conversion factors Achieved Commodities Capabilities Choice functionings Social conversion factors Means to Freedom to Achievement achieve achieve Source: Robeyns, I. (2005) The Capability Approach: A Theoretical Survey. Journal of Human Development, 6(1). pp 93-117. 6 6 3  28/05/2024 Sen’s capability approach (CA) Core concepts; – Functioning: being or doing what an individual values and has reason to value – Capability: an individual’s freedom to enjoy various functionings – Agency: an individual’s ability to pursue and realize goals 7 7 Agency-wellbeing and Freedom- Achievement Agency Well-being Well-being Freedom Agency Freedom Freedoms (Capabilities) Well-being Achievement Agency Achievements Achievement (Functionings) 8 8 4  28/05/2024 Sen’s capability approach (CA) Violation of human freedom; Violation of process freedom being forced to do something even though it is an action an individual would have freely chosen Violation of opportunity freedom forcing an individual to do what an individual does not like to do when that individual has any plausible alternative 9 9 THANK YOU…!!! 10 10 5