Boosting capabilities: reflections on
well-being in a post conflict society.
Susan Hodgett, School of Sociology and Applied Social
Studies,Ulster University and Peter Doran, School of Law,
Queen’s University Belfast.
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Four parts to this talk

The rationale behind measuring well-being in Northern Ireland
and how inspiration was taken from the work of Amartya Sen
and Martha Nussbaum.

Following Sen, the development of the Carnegie-School of Law
Roundtable as part of a necessary process of public reasoning
and deliberative democracy.

Local engagement sponsored by the Carnegie Trust UK and
Queen’s University over 2014.

The role the Capability Approach may play in assisting
processes of informed discussion in a post conflict context.
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Work on Capabilities Approach
and Policy
 Hodgett,
Susan L. (2008) Sen, Culture and
Expanding Participatory Capabilities in
Northern Ireland. Journal of Human
Development , 9 (2). pp. 165- 183.
 Hodgett, Susan and Clark ,
David (2011) Capabilities, Well-Being and
Multiculturalism: A New Framework for
Guiding Policy. International Journal of
Canadian Studies , 44 (2). pp. 163-184.
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Sen’s View of Development
 Development
conceptualised as
“freedom to lead the kind of lives we
have reason to value.”
 Adds capabilities to econometrics.
 Development as Freedom

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Unfreedoms arise from poor processes and
lack of opportunities.
Capabilities can be enhanced (reduced)
by public policy.

Sen, A . 1999. Development as Freedom. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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The Capability Approach
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Capability approach (CA) to human well-being and
development is concerned with ensuring that different
people, cultures and societies can enjoy the capability (or
freedom) to lead the kind of life that they have reason to
value.
While income and material things might be necessary to
facilitate a good form of life, the CA recognises that it does
not automatically follow that there will be a strong link
between income and access to resources and the ability to
achieve valuable capabilities.
While utility in terms of happiness or desire fulfilment is a
valuable achievement, the CA approach recognises the
importance of other aspects of well-being which cannot be
reduced to mental states. So matters of justice and gender
are important.
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The Capability
Approach
 Focus
on what people are effectively able
to do and to be, that is, on their
capabilities.
 A person’s actual achievements
(functionings)
 A person’s potential achievements
(capability)
 Obstacles to achievement of that
potential.

Ingrid Robeyns (2003). Valuing Freedoms: Sen's Capability Approach and
Poverty Reduction, see http://philpapers.org/s/Ingrid%20Robeyns
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Capabilities- wide and deep

Nussbaum (2000) Women and Human
Development: the capabilities approach

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Life (normal length)
Bodily Health (good health, reproduction, nourishment)
Bodily Integrity (free movement)
Senses, imagination, thought (imagine, think, reason, music,
religion, art, meaning of life)
Emotions (love, grief, anger, human association)
Practical reason (conception of the good, to plan one’s life)
Affiliation (concern for others, social interaction,
compassion, justice, friendship, self-respect)
Other species (concern for animals, plants and nature)
Play (laugh, play and recreation)
Control over one’s environment (political choice,
participation, free speech, to hold property, employment on
equal basis to others, freedom from unwarranted search
and seizure)
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A short film
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The High-Level Roundtable
– Measuring Wellbeing
 An
exercise in co-production
 Roundtable Process
 Consultation, Stakeholder Input, Focus
Groups
 ‘Triangulation’: The role of CUKT and the
Scottish Government
 Parallel Tracks: Transforming Governance,
Transforming Citizens
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Wellbeing and Post-Conflict
Transformation
 Wellbeing
as capabilities responds to the
fundamental challenges of a post-conflict
society
 Meaningful democracy is intrinsically
valuable as a means and as an end in the
pursuit of wellbeing
 Capabilities as wellbeing: a means and
an end
 Building a wellbeing movement:
emergent narratives are taking hold
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Public Policy is a Two Way
Relationship
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Government policy can enhance the
capabilities of the public and
Allow the public to influence policy through
effective use of their capabilities
A person’s overall freedom influences
valuable outcomes to their life

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Including priorities of local people and
communities
Inglis (2005) suggests not just choice, but freedom
to be… Independent, self-reliant, self-directed, selfconfident, self-critical, self-controlled, unafraid and
unselfish.

Culture and Sentiment in Development. (ACOA)
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Conclusion:
“The psychological
mind set most
predictive of
wellbeing is a sense
of control” (Harry Burns,
CEA, Scotland)
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 “We
must rekindle our conviction that
people and communities have a deep
and instinctive desire to work for social
and political participation and
transformation…Indeed, these
democratic capabilities are – in
themselves – valuable for human life and
wellbeing.” (CUKT, 2015, p.6)