Module 2:
The Development as Freedom Approach

Literature Review

The Development as Freedom theory by Amartya Sen entered the conversation and countered early ideas of development by concluding that poverty was not only an economic issue, but the result of the deprivation of human freedoms or capabilities. According to Sen, human wellbeing can be judged by the capabilities and freedom a person has to live the kind of life they value (Sen, 1999). When these freedoms are compromised by oppressive individuals or systems, vulnerable populations often lack the capabilities and awareness of choice to escape cycles of marginalization. Read the full literature review…

Interviews

What does restoring capabilities and freedoms actually look like for survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation?  

• Interview

Resources

Academic and organizational uses of the development as freedom approach

• What is The Capability Approach?

• Amartya Sen’s Development as Freedom & The Capability Approach

• Development as Freedom Applied in The Philippines

• Development as Freedom Applied in South Africa