Kapabilitetsteorin

Kapabilitetsteorin, often translated as capabilities theory or capability approach, is a theoretical framework that focuses on what individuals are actually able to do and be. Developed primarily by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, it shifts the focus from traditional measures of well-being like income or utility to a broader understanding of human flourishing. The core idea is that well-being should be evaluated in terms of people's real freedoms to achieve valued functionings.

Functionings are the states of "being" and "doing" that a person can achieve, such as being well-nourished, being healthy, participating in community life, or having self-respect. Capabilities, on the other hand, represent the real opportunities or freedoms a person has to achieve these functionings. For example, having access to healthy food is a functioning, but having the freedom and resources to obtain and consume that food is a capability.

The theory emphasizes that simply possessing resources does not guarantee well-being. Conversion factors, which are personal, social, and environmental, determine an individual's ability to transform resources into valuable functionings. Therefore, a just society, according to capability theorists, is one that expands the capabilities of its citizens, allowing them to lead lives they have reason to value. It provides a framework for assessing poverty, inequality, and development that goes beyond purely economic indicators.