Valuing Freedoms: Sen's Capability Approach and Poverty Reduction (Queen Elizabeth House Series in Development Studies)

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.