Capabilities and Personal Identity: Using Sen to Explain Folbre's 'Structures of Constrain' Analysis

Authors

John B. Davis, Marquette UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Format of Original

16 p.

Publication Date

10-2002

Publisher

Taylor & Francis (Routledge)

Source Publication

Review of Political Economy

Source ISSN

0953-8259

Abstract

Folbre's 'structures of constraint' analysis treats women as socially embedded in 'multiple, often contradictory positions, because they belong to multiple groups'. This paper addresses the problem of women's multiple collective identities by arguing that Sen's capability framework offers a means of explaining how women can maintain coherent personal identities. Using Sen's real opportunities sense of capabilities, the paper argues that women can acquire personal identities apart from their multiple collective identities if they acquire the specific capability of being able, freely and successfully, to negotiate their multiple group involvements. Folbre's list of policies for a more egalitarian family is reconsidered from this perspective.

Comments

Review of Political Economy, Vol. 14, No. 4 (October 2002): 481-496. DOI.

Recommended Citation

Davis, John B., "Capabilities and Personal Identity: Using Sen to Explain Folbre's 'Structures of Constrain' Analysis" (2002). Economics Faculty Research and Publications. 182.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/econ_fac/182