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Human Development &
Capability Association

Multi-Disciplinary and People-Centred

Introductory reading list

This introductory bibliography lists briefings, books and articles that provide a good overview of and introduction to the human development and capability approach.

HDCA introductory briefings

Books

Introductory articles

  • Ingrid Robeyns (2005), "The Capability Approach: A Theoretical Survey", Journal of Human Development 6(1): 93–114.
  • Sabina Alkire (2005), "Why the Capability Approach", Journal of Human Development 6(1): 115–33.
  • Ingrid Robeyns and Morten Fibieger Byskov  (2011, revised in 2020), "The Capability Approach", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta (ed.), https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/capability-approach/
  • Erika Bockstael and Krushil Watene (2016), "Indigenous Peoples and the Capability Approach: Taking Stock", Oxford Development Studies, 44(3): 265–270.
  • Ingrid Robeyns (2006), “Three Models of Education: Rights, Capabilities and Human Capital”, Theory and Research in Education 4, pp. 69–84.
  • Martha Nussbaum (2003) "Capabilities as Fundamental Entitlements: Sen and Social Justice", Feminist Economics 9 (2–3): 33–59.
  • Sabina Alkire (2002), "Dimensions of Human Development", World Development 30 (2), 181–205.
  • Amartya Sen (1993)," Capability and Well-Being", in M. Nussbaum and A. Sen (eds.) The Quality of Life, Oxford Clarendon Press, pp. 30–53.
  • Amartya Sen (1989), "Development as Capability Expansion", Journal of Development Planning 19: 41–58, reprinted in: Sakiko Fukuda-Parr and A.K. Shiva Kumar (eds.) (2003), Readings in Human Development, Oxford University Press, pp. 3–16
  • Amartya Sen (1988), "The Concept of Development", in Behram and Strinivasan (eds.) Handbooks of Development Economics. Vol. 1. Elsevier: North-Holland, pp. 3–23.
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