Valuing Freedoms

Sen's Capability Approach and Poverty Reduction
Erscheinungsjahr 2005
ISBN: 978-0-19-928331-6
Verlag: OUP Oxford

Buch, Englisch, 352 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 541 g

Reihe: Queen Elizabeth House Series in Development Studies

Friendship, knowledge of foreign groups, the ability to purchase milk and shoes, the scent of summer roses: of what interest is this type of information to economists?

Sabina Alkire shows how Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen's capability approach can be coherently---and practically---put to work in poverty reduction activities. Sen argues that economic development should expand 'valuable' freedoms. Alkire probes how we identify what is valuable. Foundational issues are addressed critically---dimensions of development, practical reason, culture, basic needs---drawing on Thomist authors who give central place to authentic participation. A participatory procedure for identifying capability change is then developed. Case studies of three Oxfam activities in Pakistan---goat-rearing, female literacy, and rose cultivation---illustrate this novel approach.

Valuing Freedoms will be of considerable interest to economists, philosophers, development practitioners, and theologians, as well as to followers of Sen's work.

Zielgruppe

Economists, philosophers, development practitioners, and theologians.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Alkire, Sabina

Fachgebiete

• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Volkswirtschaftslehre Internationale Wirtschaft Entwicklungsökonomie & Emerging Markets
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Internationale Beziehungen Entwicklungspolitik, Nord-Süd Beziehungen

Über Autor(innen)

Sabina Alkire is currently a researcher with the Global Equity Initiative, Harvard University. Previously she has worked for the Commission on Human Security, coordinated the culture-poverty learning and research initiative at the World Bank, and developed participatory impact assessment methodologies with Oxfam and the Asia Foundation in Pakistan.