Children and the capability approach

In this pioneering book we highlight the fact that the capability approach can provide significant theoretical underpinnings for the conceptualisation and measurement of child well-being, human development and poverty, and for policy and practices regarding children in matters concerning them both as individuals, and as a group in society. It is important to note that the theoretical and practical marriage proposed by this book goes beyond the most obvious synergies. Rather, it claims that its policy implications can make a difference for the way that we think about human development and children’s well-being. Thus, part of the book explores issues related to children’s well-being and the other part focuses on institutions for promoting children’s well-being. The book is divided into four parts. The first part which includes chapters 1, 2 and 3 builds on the theoretical foundations of the capability approach in relation to children’s agency, well-being and well-becoming with reference to selecting domains for analysis. The second part of the book which spans chapters 4 to 10 is concerned with making the capability approach operational and consists of several case studies that develop methods and procedures for understanding children’s agency, well-being and deprivation. Many of these chapters are concerned with measurement issues. The third part of the book which incorporates chapters 11 to 14 focuses on the policy implications of developing the capability approach for children and is supported by several novel case studies. The final part of the book summarises the main conclusions. Preface Kaushik Basu Part I: Introduction and Theoretical Perspectives on Children and the Capability Approach Chapter 1 Introduction - Theoretical Foundations and the Book’s Roadmap Flavio Comim, Jérôme Ballet, Mario Biggeri, and Vittorio Iervese Chapter 2 Children’s Agency and the Capability Approach: A Conceptual Framework Jérôme Ballet, Mario Biggeri and Flavio Comim Chapter 3 Child Poverty as Capability Deprivation: How to Choose Domains of Child Well-being and Poverty Mario Biggeri and Santosh Mehrotra Part II: Understanding Children’s Capabilities: Methods and Case Studies Chapter 4 From Valuing to Evaluating: Tools and Procedures to Operationalise the Capability Approach Mario Biggeri and Renato Libanora Chapter 5 Street children in Kampala and NGOs’ action: understanding capabilities deprivation and expansion Rudolf Anich, Mario Biggeri, Renato Libanora and Stefano Mariani Chapter 6 Sen’s Capability Approach: Children and Well-being Explored through the Use of Photography Anne Kellock and Rebecca Lawthom Chapter 7 Child Agency and Identity: The Case of Peruvian Children in a Transitional Situation Marisa Horna Padrón and Jérôme Ballet Chapter 8 Microfinance, Street Children and the Capability Approach: Is Microfinance an Appropriate Tool to Address the Street Children Issue? Badreddine Serrokh Chapter 9 ‘Good for Children’? Local Understandings Versus Universal Prescriptions: Evidence from Three Ethiopian Communities Laura Camfield and Yisak Tafere Chapter 10 Children’s Capabilities and Family Characteristics in Italy: Measuring Imagination and Play Tindara Addabbo and Maria Laura Di Tommaso Part III: Policy implications Chapter 11 Re-thinking Children’s Disabilities through the Capability Lens: a Framework for Analysis and Policy Implications Jean-Francois Trani, Parul Bakhshi and Mario Biggeri Chapter 12 Re-thinking Access to Education through the Capability Approach: The Case of Street Children Jérôme Ballet, Augendra Bhukuth and Katia Radja Chapter 13 Re-examining Children’s Economic and Non-Economic Activities Using the Capability Approach Mario Biggeri, Augendra Bhukuth and Jérôme Ballet Chapter 14 Children’s Capabilities: Toward a Framework for Evaluating the Built Environment JungA Uhm, Ferdinand Lewis, and Tridib Banerjee Part IV: Conclusions Chapter 15 Developing Children’s Capabilities: the Role of Emotions and Parenting Style Flavio Comim Chapter 16 Final Remarks and Conclusions: the Promotion of Children’s Active Participation Mario Biggeri, Flavio Comim and Jérôme Ballet