Capabilities and Constraints

Sen’s capability approach emphasises the importance of freedom and choice in leading the life that one values. This paper seeks to argue that, nonetheless, the capability approach is fully cognisant of the constraints that restrict individuals from achieving capabilities. Since the achievement of capabilities is set within a social context, and also because the constraints to capability-achievement are often of a social nature, it is useful to keep in mind the social context. An account of the capability approach that places adequate stress on the constraints that confront individuals and the institutional context will describe their situation more accurately; it will also be of more use for policy purposes.     

Capabilities and Constraints

Sen’s capability approach emphasises the importance of freedom and choice in leading the life that one values. This paper seeks to argue that, nonetheless, the capability approach is fully cognisant of the constraints that restrict individuals from achieving capabilities. Since the achievement of capabilities is set within a social context, and also because the constraints to capability-achievement are often of a social nature, it is useful to keep in mind the social context. An account of the capability approach that places adequate stress on the constraints that confront individuals and the institutional context will describe their situation more accurately; it will also be of more use for policy purposes.     

The Capabilities Conception of the Individual 1

This paper advances a capabilities conception of the individual, and considers some of the problems involved in developing such a conception. It also makes claims about the nature of the capability space as a whole, frames personal development in terms of the idea of moving though the capability space, and argues that people are alike in being increasingly heterogeneous. A key problem for a capabilities conception of the individual is that some capabilities, such as belonging to social groups and having social identities, can undermine individuality. The paper discusses an example in which people can have social identities but can nonetheless be relatively independent when seen as self-organizing. Brief comments on one goal of social economic policy as being identity-promoting conclude the paper.     

Review Essay

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.     

INTRA-HOUSEHOLD INEQUALITY: A CHALLENGE FOR THE CAPABILITY APPROACH?

In this paper, the author examines the capability approach and how it applies in the context of individuals and families living together on unequal terms. The interpretations of agency, freedom, and choice in Sen's framework are analyzed from a feminist perspective, and the author suggests that these important concepts invite special attention in the presence of domestic power imbalances. Problems with the interpretations embedded in the capability approach are pinpointed and adjustments proposed. Drawing on the vast literature on household behavior in developing countries, the author argues that capabilities have a distinctly interdependent dimension. While the discussion of agency in the capability approach has been either normative or policy-oriented, exercises that seek to evaluate individual well-being should pay more attention to the existence of alternative types of power within the realm of the household.     

What the Welfare State Left Behind—Securing the Capability to Move for the Vulnerable

The purpose of the present paper is to measure the disadvantage of the vulnerable in contemporary Japan, focusing on their capabilities in moving both outside and inside the home. Our research interest is to find a new informational base other than consumption expenditure, which provides a strong clue about how to assess the eligibility for social support. We examine theoretical methods to apply the capability approach empirically, extending existing multidimensional poverty measurements. We find that people with disabilities and nursing care users are significantly restricted in their capabilities. The elderly in general, whom we have used as a reference group, are also in a precarious situation.     

Conditional factors Pushing catch-up across developed and emerging countries in the nanotechnology sector, 2000–2010

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to test national and sectorial technological and innovation capability factors, as well as social capability indicators, which could explain a possible conditional convergence across countries in nanotechnology within the context of a model of innovative technological knowledge β convergence. Based on growth convergence models, our proposal also takes into account the Schumpeterian theory, the National System Innovation –NSI– approach, and particularly the sectorial system of innovation and the technological catch-up hypothesis, as well as theoretical and empirical literature on conditional convergence. The findings allow us to confirm that new nanotechnology knowledge convergence is conditioned by a higher growth rate of technological capabilities in nanotechnology: growth from the initial level of patents granted, cumulative knowledge, and links to technological and scientific activities. Finally, as regards social capabilities, only the institutional weakness variable (corruption index) associates negatively with β convergence. As an emergent paradigm, we realize that convergence and catch-up are starting processes, which could allow less technologically developed countries to benefit from higher growth of some of the factors identified.     

Capabilities and Functionings: The Role of Social Capital for Accessing New Capabilities

This paper connects two relatively recent streams of research in social science: the capabilities approach and the literature on social capital. The aim is to show that these are strictly connected in a dynamic process linking functionings and capabilities through social capital. The ability to attain new capabilities is enhanced by the possession of social capital; hence investing in its accumulation allows individuals to improve their welfare. Furthermore, new capabilities allow the individual to create new connections and access new networks, accruing his or her stock of social capital and opening the door to the possibility of attaining new capabilities. The paper hypothesizes that a dynamic spiral interweaves social capital, capabilities and functionings.     

小微企业如何提升信息沟通绩效——基于社会化客户关系管理能力与社交媒体可见度的研究

小微企业将社交媒体视为可用资源进行信息沟通的能力,将有力改善公众对其社会存在性的感知。本文就此提出社交媒体可见度这个信息沟通绩效目标,并以资源基础观和能力基础观为理论基础,确认了一个新的客户关系管理能力的分析框架——面向社会化客户的信息生成、信息传播和信息响应能力的三维六要素模型。通过问卷调查和收集实际运营数据展开定量分析,研究发现提升小微企业社交媒体可见度的客户关系管理能力分别为：经常性生成信息的能力、基于奖励的信息传播能力、基于服务的信息响应能力;并且,基于内容的信息响应能力也在多项检验中具有显著性。调节效应还显示,年轻企业主经营的小微企业,其社会化客户关系管理能力对可见度的促进作用更强。本文探讨了小微企业在网络经济下的社交媒体行为,对于提升小微企业生存能力具有重要实践意义。     

阿马蒂亚•森的" 能力方法" 在发展经济学中的应用

1998年诺贝尔经济学奖获得者阿马蒂亚•森首先创立了" 能力方法" 的分析框架,并把发展定义为人类能力的扩展和自由的增进。森的" 能力方法" 对联合国的人类发展报告产生了重大影响。在森的基础上," 能力方法" 得到了一定程度的拓展。森的" 能力方法" 对我国发展计划和政策的制定具有一定的借鉴意义。     

Gender Differences in Italian Children's Capabilities

This paper analyzes children's well-being using the capability approach, with a special focus on gender differences. The two areas analyzed are the capability of senses, imagination, and thought; and the capability of play. Using data from the 2008 Multipurpose Survey on Daily Life released by the Italian National Institute of Statistics, a structural equation model is estimated in which the capabilities are defined as latent variables that are intrinsically interrelated. For each capability, a set of indicators of functionings is utilized and the effects of individual and social conversion factors – including parents’ unpaid work, their level of education, and employment status – are analyzed. The model is applied to Italian girls and boys ages 6–10 in 2008. The analysis confirms that the two capabilities are interrelated. Policies aimed at improving children's achievements in education also improve the capability of play and vice versa. Differences by gender occur in the factors’ effects.     

Macroeconomic determinants of growth: new measurement and evidence on the effect of political freedom

Empirical results based on the re-examination of the data and models offered by Kormendi and Meguire (1985) and Gupta (1988) suggest that the impact of political freedom on economic growth is positive and significant. In particular, the replacement of their civil liberties variable by a new varible representing social capabilities improves the magnitude and significance of the estimated parameters and explanatory power of the regressions. The marginal contribution of social capabilities to explaining the percentage variations in the mean rate of income growth is the third highest among all determinants of growth, suggesting that the effect of freedom on growth is more pronounced than previously measured. It is argued that freedom will enable individuals to expand the range of socio-economic opportunities and to establish greater control over the human environment in order to improve material well-being.     

左润诉王银锁：20世纪40年代陕甘宁边区的妇女、婚姻与国家建构

本文以1942年的左润王银锁离婚案为主要线索,考察了陕甘宁地区特定时期及特定社会文化环境中妇女与国家建构的关系。作者试图确立女性主体的视角,质疑西方女性主义学者认为的20世纪40年代边区政府调整婚姻政策是与男性农民父权制势力妥协的结果并导致妇女解放倒退的观点,同时指出边区早期激进的婚姻政策以马克思主义女性解放观和都市的“五四”新文化女性观为基础,与地方社会实践及风俗格格不入,这不仅造成民众的强烈反对以及经济上的不公,实质上也不利于真正的妇女解放。本文通过考察当地妇女的法律活动,认为妇女是地方社会与国家权力博弈中不可忽视的力量,她们的活动导致了国家女性观念的变化以及政策的调整。通过考察当地妇女在法律实践中的活动,让我们能够对20世纪女性广泛参与建构现代国家的性质与方式有所反思。     

Policy options for afforestation in Flanders

This paper analyses current and alternative afforestation policy instruments in Flanders. First we select forest sites that maximize net social benefits given a constraint on the total area of new forests and then we select policy instruments that yield this optimal combination of sites. For each policy option, we calculate the associated costs for landowners and government as well as net social benefits for society. Our empirical illustration shows that the welfare gain is considerable if the afforestation subsidy is conditioned on an objective criterion rather than a case-by-case approach. Our results also show that it is worthwhile to consider alternative policy instruments, such as auctions, not previously used in Belgian legislation.     

数字化情境下创业动态能力有效前因组态研究

为探究数字化情境下创业动态能力前因变量协同作用机制,以江浙沪地区初创企业为研究对象,采用fsQCA和NCA方法,探讨先前经验、社会网络、创业学习和数字技术对创业动态能力的影响路径与作用机制。研究发现,数字化情境下创业动态能力存在多种前因组态,其中高创业机会能力存在数据驱动型、主观能动型、经验基础型3种组态,非高创业机会能力存在数据缺位型、经验缺失型、主动不足型3种组态,高创业资源能力存在数据助力型、传统模式型、主观能动型3种组态,非高创业资源能力存在数据缺位型、学习不足型、网络欠缺型3种组态;另外,数字技术和创业学习是高创业机会能力的重要前因变量,数字技术和网络行为是高创业资源能力的重要前因变量。研究结论有助于拓展数字技术创业和创业动态能力相关研究,对于提升数字技术能力、指导数字创业实践具有一定启示意义。     

创新政策工具组合、创新能力与创新绩效研究

基于2008-2018年我国内地30个省市面板数据，采用面板固定效应模型分析创新政策工具及其交互项对创新能力及创新绩效的影响。结果发现：①供给型和环境型创新政策均有利于促进技术创新能力提升和创新数量增长，需求型创新政策对创新能力及创新绩效的影响均不显著；②需求型、环境型和供给型创新政策两两交互项能够显著提高基础创新能力和技术创新能力，并显著增加创新数量，但对创新质量均呈显著负向影响；③需求型与供给型以及需求型与环境型创新政策组合功能呈协同互补性特征，供给型和环境型创新政策组合功能呈竞争性特征；④基础创新能力在创新政策工具对创新质量的影响中发挥完全中介作用，技术创新能力在创新政策工具对创新数量的影响中发挥完全中介作用。     

创新政策工具组合、创新能力与创新绩效研究

基于2008-2018年我国内地30个省市面板数据，采用面板固定效应模型分析创新政策工具及其交互项对创新能力及创新绩效的影响。结果发现：①供给型和环境型创新政策均有利于促进技术创新能力提升和创新数量增长，需求型创新政策对创新能力及创新绩效的影响均不显著；②需求型、环境型和供给型创新政策两两交互项能够显著提高基础创新能力和技术创新能力，并显著增加创新数量，但对创新质量均呈显著负向影响；③需求型与供给型以及需求型与环境型创新政策组合功能呈协同互补性特征，供给型和环境型创新政策组合功能呈竞争性特征；④基础创新能力在创新政策工具对创新质量的影响中发挥完全中介作用，技术创新能力在创新政策工具对创新数量的影响中发挥完全中介作用。     

社会资本与区域产业集聚：理论模型与中国经验

本文将新经济地理学中的资本创造模型（CC模型）和社会资本理论相结合，构建了社会资本与区域产业集聚理论模型，考察了社会资本促进区域产业集聚的微观机制。理论分析表明，社会资本越丰富的地区产业集聚程度越高。在此基础上，笔者运用2004年30个省（市）26个制造业行业的数据进行了经验研究。在控制了区位、经济功能、市场潜力、人力资本、政策等因素和异方差的影响后，社会资本对产业集聚有显著影响，并且在使用工具变量克服变量内生性后，以上结论依然稳健。因而，通过提升中西部地区社会资本，有助于建立中西部地区自我发展能力，缩小区域差距。     

Book Reviews

The evaluative function of local public actors has been exacerbated in recent years with the individualisation of social policies. One of their tasks is to select the appropriate informational basis in order to assess welfare claimants. Amartya Sen's capability approach offers a theoretical and normative framework to analyse this evaluative function. In particular, it insists on the importance of “objectivating” people's preferences with reference to their capabilities. The weight that is to be attached to individual preferences in the course of public action can be a matter of controversy. Claimants “capability for voice”, we argue, should be developed. This capability refers to their effective possibility to express their concerns with regard to the choice of the informational basis. It is argued that local institutions prohibiting capability for voice will produce adaptive preferences, whereas procedural institutions promoting reflexive public evaluation and capability for voice will result in a fairer wording of individual preferences. At a situated level, the way to connect subjective and objective information when assessing people very much depends on the position of the evaluator. Several illustrations show that the fairness of evaluation, and its impact on the people's capability set, depend on this positional perspective.     

支持失地农民的发展性政策选择

随着我国社会经济体制的转型,产生了规模不小的各类弱势群体,而失地农民在一定程度上成为新的弱势群体。文章试图从国际视角出发,通过详细的文献梳理,对西方反社会排斥实践尤其是补偿性教育进行经验总结,并在此基础上与国内已有做法进行细致的比较分析,研究发现:补偿教育是国外反社会排斥公共政策的研究热点。通过细致的文献梳理,发现西方不仅从生存方面对弱势群体进行了援助,而且用补偿教育的手段对弱势群体的发展能力进行了本质提升;反之,国内对失地农民的关注焦点主要集中在补偿与社会保障体系的建设上,一定程度上忽略了教育培训的运用。所以,文章建议国内应从社会责任观的培育,发展性公共政策体系的建立以及法律、金融措施保障三方面展开深化研究。这对提升弱势群体特别是失地农民的生存和发展能力从而走出"边缘化困境"有重要的现实和理论意义。