Alkire-Qizilbash-Comim-Introduction

CA:v18RllJGE UNIV~RSLTY I'RESS Contents Cambridge, Ncw York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, Sao Paulo, Delhi Cambridge UniversIty Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in rhe United Slates o[ America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on rhis tirle: www.cambridge.org/9780521862875 List of figures page viii © Cambridge University Press 2008 List oftables ix This publication is in copyrighr. Subject to statutory exception List ofcontributors XII and to the provisions of relevanr collective licensing agreements, List ofacronyms XIV no reptoduction of any part may take place without the writTen permission of Cambridge University Press. Acknowledgements XVI First published 2008 Introduction Sabina Alkire, Mozaffar Qizilbash and Flavio C0111im 1 Printed in rhe United Kingdom at rhe University Press, Cambridgc Using the capability approach: prospective and evaluative A calalogue record (or this p'.JbfiCl11ion is available (rom the British LibraI')' analyses ISBN 978-0-521·86287-5 hardback Sabina Alkire 26 Cambridge University Press has no responsibiliry [or Part I Concepts 51 rhe persistence or accuracy of URLs for eXlcrnal or third-parry internet websites referred to in chis book, 2 Amartya Sen's capability view: insightful sketch or and does not guarantee thar any conteJlt on such websires is, or will remain, accurare or appropriare. distorted picture? Mozaf(ar Qizilbash 53 3 Sen's capability approach and feminist concerns Ingl-id Robeyns 82 4 Beyond individual freedom and agency: structures of living together in the capability approach Severine Deneutin 105 5 Does identity matter? On the relevance of idenrity and interaction for capabilities Miriam Teschl and Laurent Derobert 125 6 Measuring capa bilities Flavia Comim 157 Introduction SABINA ALKIRE, MOZAFFAR QIZILBASH AND FLAVIO COMIM Amartya Sen's capability approach has generated remarkable interest in recent years. This volume brings together a selection of papers initially presented at an international conference on the capability approach (CA) held at St Edmund's College, Cambridge in 200!. This conference marked an important turning point in research on the capability approach. It brought together many young scholars who were interested in the approach as well as others who had been working on it for some time. The conference was initially motivated by issues relating to the usefulness of the approach in the particular con texts of poverty and injustice. However, conference papers covered a wide range of topics relating to concepts, measurement and other applications. In this volume, the papers are categorised in terms of these broad and overlapping areas. In 2002 a follow-up conference explored Martha Nussbaum's version of the approach, and annual conferences have been held in subsequent years.1 Numerous initiatives ha ve since emerged, including the Human Development and Capa bility Association (www.hd-ca.org). In part as a result of these initiatives, but also quite independently of them, a large literature on the capability approach has emerged. Amartya Sen's 1980 Tanner lecture, 'Equality of What?', set out a broad agenda for debate and further research. While the approach has been extensively discussed, Sabina Alkire suggests in Chapter 1 that work in this area is still at a relatively early stage. The drawing on the cover of this volume - a version ofJean-Fran<;:ois Millet's 'Les Premiers Pas de l'Enfance' ('The First Steps of Childhood') -shows a child taking its first tenra tl ve steps, supported by her mother. Only time will tell I Nussbaum 1988, Nussbaum 1990,Nussbaum 1992,Nussbaum 1993, Nussbaul1l and Sen 1993, Nussbaum 1995, Nussbaum 1995, Nussbaum, Glover and World Institute for Development Economics Research 1995, Nussbaum 1998, Nussbaum 1998, Nussbaum 2000, Nussbaum 2000, Nussbaum 2001, Nussbaum 2002, Nussbaum 2003, Nussbaum 2005, Nussbaum 2006. 1 2 The Capability Approach Int.roduction 3 whether this image provides an appropriate mecaphor for this early wich analyses which exclusively use informacion on resources, or phase of work on the capability approach. Parr of the value of bringing income, or 'ucility' (when chis is underscood as happiness or desire together a set of papers in a volume of this sort is chac chese papers sacisfaction). The capabiliry approach rhus broadens the informational allow us co assess how far the approach has gone and co define basis used in normacive evaluations. however centacively - pocencial direccions for work on the approach. To illustrare some of these ideas, consider the qualiry of life of the The volume brings together a diverse set of voices, each of which painrer Vincent Van Gogh, in the wimer of 1889. At that time Van engages wich the approach in ics discinct manner. However, we empha Gogh paimed an ineerpretation of Millet'S 'The First Steps of sise that many of che chapters engage cricically with differenr aspecrs of Childhood,.2 It is cerrainly true that Van Gogh had little income and che approach, freely questioning and wrestling with ir. Indeed, such chac he was heavily dependent on his brocher for financial suppOrt. cricical engagemem is a Common theme of chis volume. We hope co However, if we considered his position only as regards income or bring ouc the flavour and nature of chis engagement in whac follows resources we would have a very limiced underscanding of the quality through reference co relevant chapcers in this introducrion. of his life. In the months when he was working on chis paiming - as well as At this scage, it is noc emirely foreseeable which direccions will be ocher paintings based on Millet's work - he was extremely unwell and pursued in furure work on the capability approach and how fruitful had recurrene fits. To chis degree, he was clearly deprived in terms chey will cum out co be. If we return co che Millec crayon drawing, of Sen's funccioning 'being in good health'. In addicion, rhese paintings part of what engages our attenrion is the unprediccabilicy of che child's were creared in the asylum of Saine-Remy de Provence where he did nor first steps and the hope - and anxiecy - chat unprediccability generaces. have people who could sit for porn·aits. As a consequence, his brother The sceps of a child are powered by its unique curiosiry, cemperamem Theo sent him some black and whire reproductions of works by Millet and circumstances. Similar unprediccability is evidem in che emerging and Eugene Delacroix, which he worked from. Van Gogh's choice of licerarure on the capability approach. It is parr of whac makes this 'The First Steps of Childhood' as a subject ref1ecced the limited oppor licerature both intriguing and excicing. We hope that chis volume will [Unicies or capability he had. His limited opportunicies involved a form convey some of chat excicement. of disadvaneage which may noc be adequacely capcured through an analysis which merely checked his level of 'utility' (in terms of happi ness or desire satisfaccion), pardy because he may have learned to Concepts adjusc co the circumstances he found himself in. The cenrral concepcs involved in the capability approach are capabilicy Capability and functioning remain inrimately connected but indepen and funccioning. Functionings are what Sen (1999: 75) calls 'che var dently useful concepcs in Sen's wrirings. Because capabiljry is a collec ious things a person may value being and doing'. Examples include tion of functionings a person can achieve, capabilicy is evaluated in being adequacely nourished, being in good healch, avoiding escapable rhe 'space' of funcrionings, thus functionings are integral elements morbidicy, being happy, having self-respect, and caking parr in che life of capabilities. However, rhe focus on capabilicy directs our arten of che communicy (Sen 1992: 39). There is no definicive lisc of basic cion to freedom and opporrunicy - which funccionings cannot do. funccionings because different sets will be relevant co differenc groups Sen does noc claim chat capabilicy is all that marterSj funcrion and in distinct serrings (Sen 2005: 157-160). A person's capability ings retain ongoing value in themselves. He also leaves open the 'represents the various combinations of funccionings (beings and relative imporrance of capability as opposed to functionings as well doings) that the person can achieve' (Sen 1992: 40). To chis degree, as the relacive weighcs to be given to differenr capabilities or che person's capabilicy reflects her freedom or (real) opporrunities. Sen has used these concepts to analyse the qualicy of life, egalicarian justice and poverry inter alia. He has demonstrated the insights which 2 Van Gogh's interprerarion is to be found in rhe Merropolitan Museum of An in arise from a capabilicy or functioning-based analysis in comparison New York. 4 The Capability Approach Introduction 5 functionings (Sen 1992: 49-53 and 1999: 76-77). These are some of a capability approach as providing a more extensive and demanding eva range of ways in which the approach is intentionally open-ended and luative framework, for example by introducing human rights or plural incomplete. principles beyond the expansion ofcapabilities- principles which embody In addition to capability and functioning, Sen defines a third core other values or concerns such as equity, sustainability or responsibiJity. concept, agency. On his account, an agent is 'someone who acts and Both interpretations can be found in Sen's writings. Like the narrow brings about change' (Sen 1999: 19). The agency aspect is important in interpretation, the broad interpretation argues that the quality of life assessing 'what a person is free to do and achieve in pursuit of wha tever should be evaluated ptimarily in the space of capabilities. However, goals or values he or she regards as important' (Sen 1985: 203). In some information on capabilities alone is nOt sufficient. Other considera writings, agency - as well as capabiliry - figures centrally.

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