Capabilities and human rights are closely related and share common commitments to freedom and justice as central political objectives. Much of the literature on this relationship has focused on defining the overlaps and differences between them as theoretical concepts. This paper explores a...

In the literature on Sen's capability approach, studies focusing on the empirical measurement of conversion factors are comparatively rare. We add to this field by adopting a measure of 'conversion efficiency' that captures the efficiency with which individuals convert their resources into...

This paper attempts to explore issues related to right to information (RTI) and RTI laws, in the context of local governance. The paper focuses on four case studies—namely, India, Indonesia, Uganda, and Nicaragua—to highlight some of the complexities in campaigning for RTI laws and in...

The Human Development Index (HDI) published in the Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program has been calculated as a simple average of the Life Expectancy Index, the Education Index and the Gross Domestic Product Index. This paper provides statistical support for the...

Mahbub ul Haq's work to coordinate, establish and propagate the human development approach offers an example of effective leadership in promoting more ethical socio-economic development. This article reviews Pioneering the Human Development Revolution—An Intellectual Biography of Mahbub ul Haq...

The Capability Approach has been adopted as a theoretical framework for official Poverty and Wealth Reports by the German government. Our article provides information on the use of the Capability Approach in this reporting process to international readers, which may give further insights for the...

This article examines variation in the labor market success of female and male immigrants in the USA across different countries of origin. Labor market success is measured by the wages of immigrants, and the regression model includes the Gender Development Index (GDI) and the Gender Empowerment...

Historic patterns of racialized oppression, discrimination, and prejudice have been linked to contemporary levels of racialized inequality. Such patterns are thought to be created and maintained through a series of institutions aimed at limiting access to resources for some while opening doors...

Domestic migration constitutes the largest flow of people in developing countries and is among the most important opportunities for people to improve their human development. We calculate the Human Development Index by internal migrational status to assess the differences between the levels of...

In the July 2009 issue of this journal, Smith and Seward presented a critical realist ontology of human capabilities. Using insights from philosophy of technology/science and technology studies, it is argued that their ontology can and should be extended; not only individuals and social structures,...