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Agency Goals, Adaptation and Capability Sets

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  • Tania Burchardt

Abstract

'Agency goals' play an important role in Sen's capability approach. They are an acknowledgement that individuals aspire to achieve objectives other than their own immediate well-being. This article argues that using agency goal achievement as a basis for evaluating inequality or disadvantage is problematic. In particular, one of the principal charges against utilitarianism made by capability theorists — that based on adaptation or conditioned expectations — can be made with equal force and validity against a metric based on agency goals. The argument is illustrated using survey data on the educational and occupational aspirations of a cohort of young people in Britain. The article concludes that the conventional cross-sectional, objective, definition of a capability set needs to be broadened. Only if the capability set from which agency goals are formed and the capability set within which they are pursued are evaluated can we begin to properly assess substantive freedom.

Suggested Citation

  • Tania Burchardt, 2009. "Agency Goals, Adaptation and Capability Sets," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(1), pages 3-19.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jhudca:v:10:y:2009:i:1:p:3-19
    DOI: 10.1080/14649880802675044
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Muriel Gilardone, 2021. "The influence of Sen’s applied economics on his non-welfarist approach to justice," Post-Print halshs-03690014, HAL.
    2. Jürgen Volkert & Friedrich Schneider, 2011. "The Application of the Capability Approach to High-Income OECD Countries: A Preliminary Survey," CESifo Working Paper Series 3364, CESifo.
    3. Hamid Hasan, 2019. "Confidence in Subjective Evaluation of Human Well-Being in Sen’s Capabilities Perspective," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-17, January.
    4. Paula K. Lorgelly & Kenny D. Lawson & Elisabeth A.L. Fenwick & Andrew H. Briggs, 2010. "Outcome Measurement in Economic Evaluations of Public Health Interventions: a Role for the Capability Approach?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-16, May.
    5. Luc Ootegem & Elsy Verhofstadt, 2012. "Using Capabilities as an Alternative Indicator for Well-being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 106(1), pages 133-152, March.
    6. Leßmann, Ortrud, 2011. "Empirische Studien zum Capability Ansatz auf der Grundlage von Befragungen: Ein Überblick," UFZ Discussion Papers 4/2011, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
    7. Muriel Gilardone, 2018. "The influence of Sen’s applied economics on his “social choice” approach to justice: agency at the core of public action to remove injustice," Economics Working Paper from Condorcet Center for political Economy at CREM-CNRS 2018-01-ccr, Condorcet Center for political Economy.
    8. Kévin André, 2013. "Applying the Capability Approach to the French Education System: An Assessment of the "Pourquoi pas moi ?" Programme," Working Papers hal-00880246, HAL.
    9. Chen, Chih-Nan & Lin, Yei-Whei, 2020. "Well-being dynamics among poor children and young people in Taiwan: Capability approach-based investigation," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    10. Yei-Whei Lin & Chih-Nan Chen & Kunpeng Zhao, 2020. "The Capability Approach to Adolescent Poverty in China: the Profile, Decomposition and Predictors of Deprivation," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(1), pages 255-277, February.
    11. Lorgelly, Paula K. & Lorimer, Karen & Fenwick, Elisabeth A.L. & Briggs, Andrew H. & Anand, Paul, 2015. "Operationalising the capability approach as an outcome measure in public health: The development of the OCAP-18," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 68-81.
    12. André, Kévin, 2013. "Applying the Capability Approach to the French Education System: An Assessment of the "Pourquoi pas moi ?"," ESSEC Working Papers WP1316, ESSEC Research Center, ESSEC Business School.
    13. repec:hal:journl:hal-00880246 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Antoinette BAUJARD & Muriel GILARDONE, 2020. "Reconciling agency and impartiality: positional views as the cornerstone of Sen’s idea of justice," Economics Working Paper from Condorcet Center for political Economy at CREM-CNRS 2020-03-ccr, Condorcet Center for political Economy.
    15. Chiappero-Martinetti, Enrica & Sabadash, Anna, 2014. "Integrating Human Capital and Human Capabilities in Understanding the Value of Education," MPRA Paper 61800, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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