Capability Approach Measurement
The capability approach, developed by Amartya Sen and given a concrete list-based form by Martha Nussbaum, evaluates individual well-being and social arrangements in the space of capabilities — the real freedoms people have to achieve the kinds of lives they have reason to value — rather than in the space of income, resources, or subjective utility. Measurement under the approach means identifying valued functionings, the resources and conversion factors that turn resources into functionings, and the freedom people enjoy to choose among them.
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Sources
- Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom. Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN: 9780385720274
- Nussbaum, M. C. (2011). Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. ISBN: 9780674050549
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 22). Capability Approach to Well-being Measurement (Sen-Nussbaum). ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/development-studies/capability-approach-measurement
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