Equality, Capability and Human Rights

Summary

The speaker discusses the capability approach, developed by economist Amartya Sen, emphasizing its role in integrating equality and human rights. They introduce key concepts like substantive freedom and capability, and how it values individual lives over collectives. The talk covers the equality measurement framework, which uses this approach to assess inequality in various life areas. Criticisms such as individualism, idealism, and lack of specificity are addressed, along with the framework's strengths in promoting policy change.

Takeaways

• 📚 The capability approach is a framework for understanding and addressing injustice, focusing on what individuals are enabled to do and be.
• 👧 The approach captures various forms of injustice, such as a schoolgirl unable to participate in a trip due to financial constraints, highlighting inequality of outcome and opportunity.
• 👴 It also considers constraints on choice and control, like an elderly person receiving home care with no say in their meal choices or schedule.
• 🏢 The capability approach acknowledges discrimination and lack of respect, exemplified by a gay couple being refused a hotel room.
• 🌟 Developed by philosopher and economist Amartya Sen, the capability approach emphasizes substantive freedom, or the freedom to achieve important things in life.
• 🔑 The concept of 'capability' is central, referring to what an individual is enabled to be and do, influenced by personal characteristics, social context, resources, rights, and societal structures.
• 🔄 The approach promotes integration of equality and human rights by aligning values such as fairness, respect, equality, dignity, and autonomy.
• 📊 It accounts for variations in need between individuals, suggesting that different people may require different resources to achieve the same standard of living.
• 🌈 The capability approach is multidimensional, incorporating both objective and subjective outcomes, such as housing security and self-respect.
• 📈 The equality measurement framework applies the capability approach to monitor inequality and human rights, using international human rights frameworks to guide the selection of capabilities.
• 🏛 It critiques traditional income inequality measures for not considering differences in need and instead evaluates equality of outcome, autonomy, and process.

Q & A

What is the capability approach?

The capability approach is a theoretical framework developed by philosopher and economist Amartya Sen. It focuses on evaluating individual well-being in terms of the range of valuable 'functionings' a person can achieve, rather than just their resources or utilities.

How does the capability approach differ from traditional economic measures of well-being?

The capability approach emphasizes 'substantive freedom' or the real freedom to achieve important things in life, contrasting with traditional measures that focus on income or utility. It considers individual capabilities as the key to evaluating well-being.

What are the three types of inequality that the capability approach identifies?

The capability approach identifies three types of inequality: inequality of outcome, inequality of process, and inequality of autonomy. These refer to disparities in what people achieve, how they are treated, and the degree to which they can shape their circumstances, respectively.

How does the capability approach integrate considerations of equality and human rights?

The capability approach integrates equality and human rights by focusing on the actual capabilities people have to lead the lives they value. It aligns with human rights principles such as fairness, respect, equality, dignity, and autonomy, and can be used to monitor compliance with human rights standards.

What is the Equality Measurement Framework and how does it relate to the capability approach?

The Equality Measurement Framework is an application of the capability approach that was developed to monitor inequality and human rights. It uses a set of capabilities derived from international human rights instruments to evaluate the state of equality and human rights in a given context.

Why is the capability approach considered both a strength and a weakness for its multi-dimensionality?

The capability approach is considered a strength for its multi-dimensionality because it can incorporate both objective and subjective outcomes, reflecting the complexity of human well-being. However, it is also seen as a weakness because it requires a significant amount of data and information across various domains of life, which can be challenging to gather.

How does the capability approach address the criticism that it is too individualistic?

While the capability approach focuses on individual well-being, it does not ignore the role of communities, groups, and structures. It acknowledges that individual capabilities are shaped by various social and environmental factors, including family, community, and national/global contexts.

What are some of the practical applications of the capability approach mentioned in the script?

The capability approach has been used by various organizations such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission for Great Britain, government equalities offices, Children's Commission in England, local governments, public service organizations like the NHS, and local equality networks.

How does the capability approach handle the criticism that it is too abstract or academic?

The capability approach is grounded in a strong theoretical foundation, which allows it to be defended against charges of being arbitrary. However, there is an ongoing task to translate these abstract principles into concrete examples that are relevant to people's daily lives.

What are the potential radical implications of the capability approach if taken seriously?

If the capability approach is taken seriously, particularly with an emphasis on equality of capability, it can highlight significant structural constraints on people's capabilities. This could lead to radical policy implications, challenging existing social and economic structures to ensure a more equitable distribution of capabilities.