The rewards of a qualitative approach to life-course research. The example of the effects of social protection policies on career paths

Background of INCASI Project H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015 GA 691004. WP1: CompilationEste artículo muestra los beneficios de la incorporación de la perspectiva cualitativa, y en particular del uso de los relatos de vida, en estudios basados en la perspectiva del curso de vida. Estos beneficios se ilustran mostrando un estudio sobre los efectos de las medidas de protección social en trayectorias profesionales basado en los fundamentos teóricos del enfoque de las capacidades de SEN (1987, 1992, 1993).La perspectiva del curso de vida es una buena opción metodológica para evaluar si los sistemas de protección social se adaptan a la situación actual de los mercados laborales pues numerosas trayectorias son no-lineales e inestables. Los estudios que adoptan esta perspectiva usan diseños de investigación en que los datos estadísticos secundarios ocupan un papel central, mientras que los datos cualitativos apenas tienen relevancia o directamente no se emplean. Este artículo muestra cómo estos estudios pueden ser mejorados mediante el uso de entrevistas semiestructuradas y un análisis cualitativo formal que permitan identificar puntos de inflexión, acontecimientos críticos, transiciones y etapas en los que las medidas y recursos de la protección social juegan un papel importante en modificar o canalizar las trayectorias personales y profesionales. Prestar atención a la persona y a su agencia - no sólo en un momento determinado de la trayectoria sino también en una perspectiva más amplia que incorpore episodios pasados y proyecciones hacia el futuro - resulta esencial para considerar cómo las personas utilizan los recursos que tienen a su disposición y para evaluar correctamente los efectos de las medidas de protección.This article highlights the benefits of incorporating the qualitative perspective, and in particular the use of life stories, in studies based on the life-course perspective. These benefits will be illustrated using as an example a study of the effects of social protection measures on career paths based on the theoretical underpinnings of SEN's (1987, 1992, 1993) capability approach.The life-course perspective is a very good methodological option for evaluating the extent to which social protection systems are adapted to the present situation in labor markets, where many trajectories are non-linear and unstable. Studies adopting such a perspective use research designs in which secondary statistical data are central, whereas qualitative data are used little, if at all. This article will explain how these quantitative approaches can be improved by using semi-structured interviews and a formalized qualitative analysis to identify turning points, critical events, transitions and stages, in which social protection measures and resources play a significant role in redressing or channeling personal and career paths. Paying attention to the person and his or her agency-not only at a given time but in a broader perspective that embraces past episodes and projections into the future-is essential in order to consider how individuals use the resources at their disposal and to effectively evaluate the effects of social protection measures

Justice in the Philosophy of Amartya Sen

The study aimed at addressing the issue of justice in the Philosophy of Amartya Sen, which specialized in the subject of justice, and was intended to solve several problems faced by man in his daily life. The study dealt with aspects of Amartya Sen's personality, then Amartya Sen's theory of justice, and then what transitional justice is, and the direction and concept of Amartya Sen through his theory of transitional justice. He has developed the capacity approach adopted by the Development Organization and several countries for the development of countries. The study recommended further studies on the theory of Amartya Sen to keep a close eye on its various creations. Keywords: Justice, Philosophy of Amartya Sen, Transitional justice DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/11-26-15 Publication date:September 30th 201

The capability approach: rescuing aid from paternalism

The capability approach: a new evaluation of standards of living. The capability approach: conceptual foundations. Sen and his critics. Different versions of the capability approach. Application of the Capability Approach to the study of social phenomena: inequality and poverty. Development as the process of expansion of freedoms. The capability approach in the context of international development policies

Factor Analysis vs. Fuzzy Sets Theory: Assessing the Influence of Different Techniques on Sen's Functioning Approach

This paper explores a couple of specific operational interpretations of Sen's approach in view of assessing the extent to which the results originated by the implementation of Sen's concepts are influenced by the choice of the specific technique. By means of a survey based on a representative sample of Belgian individuals, seven achieved functioning's are identified via each technique and subsequently confronted. To structure the information and to facilitate comparisons, standard multivariate analysis is performed, while at the same time considering in more detail the sub-group of the most deprived individuals. In this way, a substantial accordance - yet no perfect equivalence - is uncovered in the general patterns of functionings' achievements.

"Development as Freedom"

This chapter offers a historical and analytical introduction to the school of thought that views 'development as freedom'. Since it is impossible to do justice to the depth and complexity of this 'new' approach to development in just one short chapter, I explore a few significant dimensions of the concept beginning with Amartya Sen's pioneering contributions. I also look at clarifications by Nussbaum and others who offer a list of important functionings that can be included in the capabilities set. The subsequent part builds on this by exploring the transition from a utilitarian welfare economics to a fully social capabilities based ethics for development with justice. The present chapter proceeds in the direction of concretizing the idea of 'development as freedom' by discussing the role of a network of social, economic and political institutions in creating social capabilities. This allows us to develop the argument that freedom is to be viewed dynamically as the development of appropriate social capabilities embedded in a specific network of social, economic and political institutions. The following section then presents an example of a concrete area of application--- namely, the problem of developing women's capabilities as an important aspect of global justice--- in order to illustrate the practical relevance of the capabilities approach. The final, concluding section reflects on the future of the social capabilities approach as an evaluative framework for development theory and policy. It turns out that in addition to the usual list of capabilities, and policies driven by them in the field of development, a deep democratic constitution backed up by ongoing democratizing social and political movement is an integral part of the historical project of enhancing social capabilities.

Factor Analysis vs Fuzzy Sets Theory: Assessing the Influence of Different Techniques on Sen's Functioning Approach.

This paper explores a couple of specific operational interpretations of Sen's approach in view of assessing the extent to which the results originated by the implementation of Sen's concepts are influenced by the choice of the specific technique. By means of a survey based on a representative sample of Belgian individuals, seven achieved functioning's are identified via each technique and subsequently confronted. To structure the information and to facilitate comparisons, standard multivariate analysis is performed, while at the same time considering in more detail the sub-group of the most deprived individuals. In this way, a substantial accordance - yet no perfect equivalence - is uncovered in the general patterns of functioning's' achievements.

Human rights and ethical reasoning : capabilities, conventions and spheres of public action

This interdisciplinary article argues that human rights must be understood in terms of opportunities for social participation and that social and economic rights are integral to any discussion of the subject. We offer both a social constructionist and a normative framework for a sociology of human rights which reaches beyond liberal individualism, combining insights from the work of Amartya Sen and from French convention theory. Following Sen, we argue that human rights are founded on the promotion of human capabilities as ethical demands shaped by public reasoning. Using French convention theory, we show how the terms of such deliberation are shaped by different constructions of collectively held values and the compromises reached between them. We conclude by demonstrating how our approach offers a new perspective on spheres of public action and the role these should play in promoting social cohesion, individual capabilities and human rights

The Centrality of Participant Voice in Illuminating the Gender Regime in Education Research Using a Human Capabilities Analysis

The human capabilities approach distinguishes between capabilities (a person’s ability to choose what she wants to do/be) and functionings (actually doing/being what she wants). When used to analyze gender equality in education, it draws attention to the nature of education and the extent to which it is equally empowering for girls and boys. This research synthesis examines the use of the human capabilities approach as an analytical framework for gender and education research. The approach’s emphasis on participant voice as a means of articulating what is valued in education highlights contradictions and similarities within a given community and attends to the way that the gender regime of the school characterizes the educational experience. This is particularly meaningful in relation to the views of student participants including children, whose descriptions of their educational values, goals and experiences are critical in understanding the daily operations and experiences of gender regimes in schools

Instructions in Inequality: Development, Human Rights, Capabilities, and Gender Violence in School

This Article argues that the international community\u27s gender equality targets will not be realized by 2015 because the problems associated with sexual violence against girls in schools are situated at an intersection of contested conceptual divides between human rights (civil and political liberties) and development aims (social and economic needs). Cracks in the conceptual foundations of both the liberal and utilitarian theories of justice and equality, which support traditional human rights advocacy and economic development plans, respectively render each approach inadequate to fully identify and address the grave danger sexual violence and harassment in schools pose to educational equality. In the end, this Article posits that development policy debates and human rights advocacy addressing the issue of gender equality in education could be advanced more constructively by the application of a capabilities approach

Empowerment in their hands: use of WhatsApp by women in Nigeria

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are reported to hold a lot of promise for sustainable development, poverty reduction and the empowerment of marginalized groups, such as women and minorities in developing countries. This paper discusses the relationship between women’s empowerment and ICTs, by investigating the promise of empowerment associated with the use of WhatsApp by women in Nigeria. It draws upon Sen’s Capability Approach (CA) to explore some implications of the use of WhatsApp mobile application on human development. We employed Sen's five instrumental freedoms to evaluate how WhatsApp has empowered women by concentrating on the opportunities provided for expanding their freedom to participate in social, economic and political activities. Our analysis shows that WhatsApp can contribute to the empowerment of women by enabling their freedoms to participate in developmental activities; however some contextual factors impede the ability of the women to take full advantage of these developmental opportunities that WhatsApp offers. The paper concludes with some implications for policymakers advancing an agenda for "ICTs for Development”