Capabilities, conversion factors and institutions

Abstract

Sen's capability approach emphasizes the importance of freedom and choice in leading the life that one values. In the capability approach, a person converts the vector of commodities into functionings. This conversion depends upon personal, social and environmental factors. These conversion factors are important because they constrain the capability achievement of individuals, a matter that is especially important for the poor. Using the case of a credit cooperative in Malaysia, this article seeks to demonstrate the importance of conversion factors and how it is possible to improve the capabilities of the poor.

Engines of Social Mobility? Navigating Meritocratic Education Discourse in an Unequal Society

“…The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and imported into NVivo for qualitative data analysis. The data were initially thematically coded in line with the personal, social and material 'conversion factors' -factors which affect whether an individual is able to convert the resources they have access to into genuine opportunities and achievements -derived from the capabilities approach (Nambiar 2013) in order to understand the complex combinations of causal mechanisms that 13 participants described as shaping students' educational opportunities. An online software package, Kumu.io, was used to visually map the relationships between the personal, social and material conversion factors identified in the data.…”

“…The capabilities approach conceives of well-being, freedom and social justice in terms of the 'capabilities' (or genuine opportunities) people have to live lives that they value. Within this approach we focused particularly on the concept of 'conversion factors' which draws attention to the ways in which a person's capabilities are shaped by their interactions with and interpretations of the material and social circumstances in which they are situated (Nambiar, 2013). The capabilities approach thus enabled us to examine how students' educational opportunities are shaped by their relationships to a broad range of structural factors, and provided an alternative to -and a basis for critiquing -the highly individualistic perspective of meritocratic social mobility.…”

The Impact of Global Economic Crisis and Austerity on Quality of Working Life and Work‐Life Balance: A Capabilities Perspective

“…The capabilities approach is a ‘framework of thought’ rather than a specified theory, which provides an evaluative space to assess well‐being and quality of life of individuals (Hobson, ). It is based on the work of Amartya Sen, whose original focus is on the promotion of human development through agency and an individual's freedom to choose a life that s/he wants (Hobson et al ., ; Miles, ; Nambiar, ). It provides a framework for considering the real freedom for individuals to pursue goals that they regard as important and has reason to value in relation to their quality of life.…”

“…To understand inequalities in agency and capabilities, we refer to the concept of the ‘capability set’ that each individual has. The set comprises of three different types of ‘conversion factors’, which influence the extent to which an individual can convert the means and resources that are available to her/him into actual capabilities (Miles, ; Nambiar, ). Sen's original capability set, intended for development, is made up of personal/individual conversion factors (including the individual's gender, ethnicity, age, and human capital such as reading skills and intelligence), environmental conversion factors (including climate, geographic location, physical surroundings, and infrastructure), and societal conversion factors, which are factors from the society in which the individual lives (including social and legal rights and norms, public policies, gender roles, societal hierarchies, and power relations) (Miles, ; Sen, ; Robeyns, ; Hobson, ; Miles, ).…”

Freedom of choice to migrate: adaptation to climate change in Bangladesh

“…To realise their capabilities, they need access to basic resources, including food, employment, social networks, education and mobility. A fully functioning human life depends on a good socio-ecological, economic, political and personal conversion factors, together with human, physical and financial capital (Nambiar 2013). Freedom of choice is intrinsically valuable to people as it gives them the ability to achieve their own destiny both as a person and as part of relevant communities (Alkire 2009).…”