Capabilities to Function Essay PDF

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How does the concept of “capabilities to function” help us gain insight into development goals and achievements? Is money enough? Why or why not?To understand what capability to function is, Amartya Sen, the 1998 Nobel laureate in economics, introduced a concept entitled capability approach. This af...

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How does the concept of “capabilities to function” help us gain insight into development goals and achievements? Is money enough? Why or why not?

To understand what capability to function is, Amartya Sen, the 1998 Nobel laureate in economics, introduced a concept entitled capability approach. This aforementioned approach straightly stresses the quality of life that people are actually ABLE TO ACHIEVE. The quality of life we’re referring is analyzed in terms of the core concepts of “FUNCTIONINGS” and “CAPABILITY”. “Capability to function” is what really matters for status as a poor or non-poor person. It stated that it is not only the potential to gain something (consumable or non-consumable) through money but rather the ability to do, make, or create something. And the concept enlightens us that money is not the most essential into development goals and achievements yet it gives emphasis to the being of people. It focuses more on people, its function, on what it can do with its characteristics rather than the wealth it possesses. Functioning is simply the state of doing, being or working. Take note that there is a significant distinction between commodities employed and functioning, to further elaborate this, examples are provided. 

Driving a car is distinguishable from having a car.

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Bicycling is distinguishable from having a bike. Capability refers to the set of VALUABLE functioning that a person has EFFECTIVE ACCESS

TO. Therefore, a person’s capability symbolizes the right to exercise “EFFECTIVE FREEDOM” of people to choose between different functioning combinations- been different kinds of life, that THEY HAVE REASONS TO VALUE. This allows analysis to focus on sets of functioning related to particular aspects of life. 

Sen provides an excellent example of bread, the most basic of commodities. It has product “characteristics” such as taste and nutrition such as protein; and it helps to meet conventions of social exchange in the sense of breaking bread together. But many of these benefits depend on the person and her circumstances, such as her activity level, metabolism, weight, whether she is pregnant or lactating, nutrition knowledge, whether she is infected with parasites, and her access to medical services.

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Consider the fact that book is a commodity, some people are into it. But we can’t expect an illiterate person to give too much value for a book. The concept of capabilities to function enables us to have a wider picture on what a

consumer's capabilities can do. Since the concept speaks more on the ability of one to make something out of commodities, it may actually contribute to the achievement of the development goals and achievement. It may look small, but if our capabilities are joined together, it can lead to bigger contribution towards reaching the said goals. Is the money enough? Yes, it is, but sadly, it's not equally distributed that's why there are still poor people who are struggling to survive each day due to poverty....