Capabilities, Culture and Social Structure

Abstract

Sen's capability approach has a culturally specific side, with capabilities influenced by social structures and institutions. Although Sen acknowledges this, he expresses his theory in individualistic terms and makes little allowance for culture or social structure. The present paper draws from recent social theory to discuss how the capability approach could be developed to give an explicit treatment of cultural and structural matters. Capabilities depend not only on entitlements but on institutional roles and personal relations: these can be represented openly if capabilities are disaggregated into individual, social and structural capacities. The three layers interact, and a full analysis of capabilities should consider them all. A stratified method implies that raising entitlements will not on its own be enough to enhance capabilities and that cultural and structural changes will be needed.

Distributive Justice With and Without Culture

“…The capability approach is essentially individualistic, however, and says little about culture, social structures or ways of life (Jackson, 2005;Dean, 2009;Sayer, 2012). In order to get further away from welfarism, one needs a deeper account of culture and social context.…”

The capabilities approach and critical social policy: Lessons from the majority world?

“…Bagchi (2000: 4412) complains that Sen underplays the ways that market expansion perpetuates unfree forms of labour, and his celebration of liberal democracy is not a realistic portrayal "of how actually existing democracy operates under the capitalist order". Both Zimmerman (2006) and Jackson (2005) have focused centrally on the individualist limitations of Sen"s theory, and the ways in which social structures, power and culture are only partially acknowledged. Zimmerman argues that Sen largely sees the wider environment as a context shaping individual agency, rather than developing a more sociologically grounded interactive or relational model.…”

The Palestinian Hidden Transcript: Domination, Resistance and the Role of ICTs in Achieving Freedoms

“…'An individual relies on society for knowledge, values and abilities essential to selfdevelopment, and society relies on the collective activities of individuals for its existence' (Jackson, 2005) Agency belongs to many social systems (Appadurai, 2004) but the absence of a Palestinian state has caused educational systems to occupy a distinct place within the Palestinian society and in the minds of Palestinian students. Educational institutions are arenas for reproduction of social practices and of social change (Pareliusand Parelius, 1978).…”

“…She suggests that the freedom centred view of development includes the analysis of basic social institutions and processes. So in order to solve the deficiency in Sen's approach, Jackson (2005) proposes the use of aspects of the theory of structuration to account for the influences social structures and institutions exert on freedoms. In addition, Zureik (2003) considers structuration theory more appropriate to account for power and resistance specific to the Palestinian context as Foucault's concept of power is non-coercive; whereas, 'the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza is subjected to routine coercive practices which evidence violence as a spectacle.…”