Understanding and Fighting Poverty – Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach and Related Theories

Knech Alban ()
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Knech Alban: Munich University of Applied Sciences, Faculty for Applied Social Sciences, Am Stadtpark 20, 81243 Munich, Germany

Social Change Review, 2012, vol. 10, issue 2, 153-176

Abstract: This article scrutinises the usefulness of Sen’s capability approach and other related theories for understanding poverty and traceability of social-welfare interventions. In addition to the capability approach three macro level approaches are discussed: the welfare regime approach of Esping-Andersen, the social investment approach and a new resource theory. While the strength of the capability approach is the interpretation of worldwide data, and welfare regimes better explain the tangible function of welfare institutions, the social investment approach focuses on the meaning of human capital. Resource theory describes the welfare interventions by analysing their effects on equipping individuals with a broad range of resources. Two further approaches show the mode of operation of micro level interventions. Resource orientation and empowerment are social work techniques which improve the situation of disadvantaged people by emancipation. The article concludes that macro level and micro level considerations must be combined to understand, and then fight poverty

Keywords: Capability approach; Early child intervention; Poverty alleviation; Resource based theory; Resource-oriented theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:socchr:v:10:y:2012:i:2:p:153-176:n:4

DOI: 10.2478/scr-2013-0016

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