Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Capability Approach
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Capability Approach
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- General Introduction
- Part I Historical Antecedents and Philosophical Debates
- Part II Methods, Measurement and Empirical Evidence
- Introduction to Part II
- 13 Social Choice and the Capability Approach
- 14 On Capability and its Measurement
- 15 Analyzing Capabilities
- 16 Implementing the Capability Approach with Respect for Individual Valuations
- 17 Capability, Opportunity, Outcome and Equality
- 18 The Distribution of Capabilities
- 19 Inter-Group Disparities in the Distribution of Human Development
- 20 Multidimensional Inequality and Human Development
- 21 The Research Agenda on Multidimensional Poverty Measurement
- 22 Measuring Gender Inequality Using the Capability Approach
- 23 Econometric and Statistical Models for Operationalizing the Capability Approach
- 24 Expanding Capabilities through Participatory Action Research
- Part III Issues in Public Policy
- Index
- References
19 - Inter-Group Disparities in the Distribution of Human Development
Two Apparent Conundrums and How We Might Address Them
from Part II - Methods, Measurement and Empirical Evidence
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 November 2020
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Capability Approach
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Capability Approach
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- General Introduction
- Part I Historical Antecedents and Philosophical Debates
- Part II Methods, Measurement and Empirical Evidence
- Introduction to Part II
- 13 Social Choice and the Capability Approach
- 14 On Capability and its Measurement
- 15 Analyzing Capabilities
- 16 Implementing the Capability Approach with Respect for Individual Valuations
- 17 Capability, Opportunity, Outcome and Equality
- 18 The Distribution of Capabilities
- 19 Inter-Group Disparities in the Distribution of Human Development
- 20 Multidimensional Inequality and Human Development
- 21 The Research Agenda on Multidimensional Poverty Measurement
- 22 Measuring Gender Inequality Using the Capability Approach
- 23 Econometric and Statistical Models for Operationalizing the Capability Approach
- 24 Expanding Capabilities through Participatory Action Research
- Part III Issues in Public Policy
- Index
- References
Summary
The assessment of inter-group disparities in the distribution of human development is an important component of the Capability Approach to understanding aspects of social justice. In situations where an adverse social outcome affects disadvantaged and advantaged groups in society differently, the rates at which those groups experience favourable or adverse outcomes tend to be systematically related to the overall prevalence of the outcome. Specifically, as the overall prevalence of that outcome reduces (e.g. as a result of a policy measure or social improvement), the adverse outcome may be found to reduce proportionately less among the group with the higher baseline rate (call it the ‘disadvantaged’ group), while concomitantly, the rate of avoiding the unfavourable outcome rises proportionately less in the other (‘advantaged’) group. The propensity for this to happen was first noticed by James P. Scanlan, and is sometimes referred to as Scanlan's Rule. The Rule might be seen as calling into question standard measurement devices for characterizing groups as being relatively disadvantaged or advantaged, and as suggesting that a concern for group inequality could stymie the possibility of social progress. This chapter undertakes a critical examination of how convincing these interpretations of Scanlan’s Rule are.
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- The Cambridge Handbook of the Capability Approach , pp. 370 - 391Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020