Kapabilitetstilnærmingen

Kapabilitetstilnærmingen, or the capability approach, is a framework for assessing human well-being and social development. Developed primarily by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, it shifts the focus from traditional measures like income or resources to what individuals are actually able to do and be.

The core idea is that well-being is not just about having goods or services, but about having the freedom and opportunity to achieve valued "functionings." Functionings are the actual states of "being" and "doing" that people can attain, such as being well-nourished, being healthy, being educated, or participating in community life.

Crucially, the approach distinguishes between "functionings" and "capabilities." Capabilities represent the *real opportunities* or freedoms a person has to achieve various combinations of functionings. For example, a person might have access to food (a resource), but if they are too sick to eat it or lack the social standing to cook it, their capability to be well-nourished is diminished.

The capability approach uses a list of "basic capabilities" that are considered essential for a dignified human life. While the exact list can vary, common examples include life, bodily health, bodily integrity, senses, imagination, and thought, practical reason, affiliation, and control over one's environment.

This framework has been influential in fields like economics, philosophy, and public policy, offering a more nuanced understanding of poverty and development than purely economic indicators. It emphasizes individual agency and the importance of social and political arrangements in expanding people's freedoms.