Women Making Choices

Ashima Goyal

Indian Journal of Gender Studies, 2007, vol. 14, issue 3, 409-437

Abstract: Amartya Sen's capability approach is very useful to analyse how choices affect the potential of women, once the position that women lack self-awareness when they make their choices is dropped. Women's agency is underestimated. Women's ‘otherregarding choices’ are not irrational because altruism has not only intrinsic, but also instrumental value as a source of social capital; it may even increase some types of freedom. The mask of conformity women wear in preferring less to more can be misinterpreted as a lack of awareness. The rapidity with which even poor women make use of opportunities that suit their other-regarding choices and the special modes of functioning they have developed as a result prove that the mask of women's conformity is a shallow one.

Date: 2007
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:indgen:v:14:y:2007:i:3:p:409-437

DOI: 10.1177/097152150701400303

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