Development as empowerment

Amartya Sen’s capability approach to human welfare recognizes the impact of social institutions on human capabilities. But as an evaluative framework, it does not analyze the role of institutionalized power in causing or perpetuating inequalities in individual opportunities to achieve. Drawing on authors who are receptive to the capability approach and who have examined the political aspects of advancing human capabilities, this paper presents a view of social power and its exercise that is congruent with the capability approach. This ex-amination of power continues the exploration of intergroup relationships that Sen has advocated, and it can be expected to yield new criteria for policy eva-luation as well as new policy options