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The Relational Ontology of Amartya Sen's Capability Approach: Incorporating Social and Individual Causes

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  • Matthew Longshore Smith
  • Carolina Seward

Abstract

While Sen has written extensively on the social factors of capabilities, the exact nature of these social factors and how they interact to form and influence capabilities is contested and unclear. Consequently, how to coherently integrate social components into capability research remains a concern for those attempting to put the capability approach to practical use. This paper proposes one approach to understanding and integrating the social nature of capabilities. Building upon two recent contributions by Martins, we argue that underpinning Sen's notion of capabilities is an ontological conception of a relational society. In this perspective, an individual's capabilities emerge from the combination and interaction of individual-level capacities and the individual's relative position vis-a-vis social structures that provide reasons and resources for particular behaviors. Crucially, this conception of society is predicated upon a contextual notion of causality that is flexible enough to incorporate both individual and social causes into social analysis.

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  • Matthew Longshore Smith & Carolina Seward, 2009. "The Relational Ontology of Amartya Sen's Capability Approach: Incorporating Social and Individual Causes," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(2), pages 213-235.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jhudca:v:10:y:2009:i:2:p:213-235
    DOI: 10.1080/19452820902940927
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kincaid,Harold, 1996. "Philosophical Foundations of the Social Sciences," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521482684, November.
    2. Alkire, Sabina, 2005. "Valuing Freedoms: Sen's Capability Approach and Poverty Reduction," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199283316.
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    Cited by:

    1. Simplice A. Asongu, 2021. "The Effects of Mobile Phone Technology, Knowledge Creation and Diffusion on Inclusive Human Development in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 12(3), pages 1367-1398, September.
    2. Ballet, Jérôme & Marchand, Lucile & Pelenc, Jérôme & Vos, Robin, 2018. "Capabilities, Identity, Aspirations and Ecosystem Services: An Integrated Framework," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 21-28.
    3. Natera, Jose Miguel & Pansera, Mario, 2013. "How Innovation Systems and Development Theories complement each other," MPRA Paper 53633, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Willand, Nicola & Horne, Ralph, 2018. "“They are grinding us into the ground” – The lived experience of (in)energy justice amongst low-income older households," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C), pages 61-70.
    5. Ballet, Jérôme & Bazin, Damien Jérôme Albert & Komena, Boniface K., 2020. "Unequal capabilities and natural resource management: The case of Côte d’Ivoire," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    6. Pablo Garces-Velastegui, 2024. "A capabilitarian behavioral economics: what behavioral economics can learn from the capability approach," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 71(3), pages 667-690, September.
    7. Martins, Nuno, 2011. "Sustainability economics, ontology and the capability approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1-4.
    8. Griewald, Yuliana & Rauschmayer, Felix, 2013. "Exploring a nature-related conflict from a capability perspective," UFZ Discussion Papers 7/2013, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
    9. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas Biekpe, 2017. "Mobile Phone Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa," Research Africa Network Working Papers 17/023, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    10. Samarakoon, Shanil, 2019. "A justice and wellbeing centered framework for analysing energy poverty in the Global South," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 1-1.
    11. Simplice A. Asongu, 2023. "Mobile Phone Innovation and Doing Business in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 9(2), pages 238-269, July.
    12. Pansera, Mario & Owen, Richard, 2015. "Framing resource-constrained innovation at the ‘bottom of the pyramid’: Insights from an ethnographic case study in rural Bangladesh," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 300-311.
    13. Ballet, Jérôme & Koffi, Jean-Marcel & Pelenc, Jérôme, 2013. "Environment, justice and the capability approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 28-34.
    14. Mladovsky, Philipa & Ba, Maymouna, 2017. "Removing user fees for health services: A multi-epistemological perspective on access inequities in Senegal," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 91-99.
    15. François-Xavier de Vaujany & Nathalie Mitev & Matthew Smith & Isabelle Walsh, 2017. "Renewing Literature Reviews in MIS Research? A Critical Realist Approach," Working Papers hal-01648133, HAL.
    16. Pansera, Mario & Owen, Richard, 2018. "Framing inclusive innovation within the discourse of development: Insights from case studies in India," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 23-34.
    17. Demals, Thierry & Hyard, Alexandra, 2014. "Is Amartya Sen's sustainable freedom a broader vision of sustainability?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 33-38.
    18. Birkin, Frank & Polesie, Thomas, 2013. "The relevance of epistemic analysis to sustainability economics and the capability approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 144-152.
    19. Nuno Ornelas Martins & Américo Mendes, 2012. "Social Exclusion of Immigrants from a Capability Perspective: The Case of Portugal," Chapters, in: Roberta Capello & Tomaz Ponce Dentinho (ed.), Globalization Trends and Regional Development, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    20. Griewald, Yuliana & Rauschmayer, Felix, 2014. "Exploring an environmental conflict from a capability perspective," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 30-39.
    21. Cecile Renouard, 2011. "Corporate Social Responsibility, Utilitarianism, and the Capabilities Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 98(1), pages 85-97, January.
    22. Roberta Capello & Tomaz Ponce Dentinho (ed.), 2012. "Globalization Trends and Regional Development," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14815.

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