Exploring Social Arrangements for Developing Human Capability

Over the past decade most governments have emphasised the importance of work related skills, and by proxy the increase of qualifications, as one of the keys to economic growth. In this chapter, and in Chapter 10, we argue the importance of broadening the debate from these narrow understandings of skill to the wider concept of human capability. We believe this widening of focus is important for a number of reasons, some of which are ably demonstrated in other chapters of this volume. For instance, it permits us to consider: learning rather than counting credentials (also refer Keep’s Chapter 6); the utilisation (and not just development) of skills, knowledge, and other attributes; the purpose of work (both paid and unpaid) in society beyond narrow organisational and economic ends; and the impact of regulation and social arrangements on the capabilities of organisations, individuals and communities (also refer Buchanan’s Chapter 3, Mayhew’s Chapter 4 and Spoonley’s Chapter 5).