Yes / The aim of this chapter is to explore how social choice theory and the capability approach can help in clarifying important ethical dilemmas and issues of injustice that need to be addressed for cities to become sustainable cities. Six types of important injustices are identified covering both intra and inter-generational fairness. Some important criticisms of smart cities are considered and important safeguards and policy priorities for smart cities from the social choice and capability approach framings are identified. The main message of this chapter is that sustainability of cities is an ethical issue and not one of technology or measurement and it is all about the six types of injustices and that cities need to tackle all six of these injustices in their quest to become sustainable. Nudging and smart cities can help but these must be contextualised to priorities participation and equality. Social choice theory as formulated by Amartya Sen provides important insights to understand and deal with conflicts between different demands on freedoms of different individuals. / British Academy / The full-text of this book chapter will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 14 Sep 2024.

There has been an increasing amount of investment in Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) interventions in developing countries under the premise of accelerating the process of social, economic and political development. These interventions are usually driven by the symbolic power of ICTs which signify progress and upon which the governments of developing countries try to draw to modernise the functioning of the state and to further enhance public service delivery to citizens. However, in this thesis it is argued that the actions and events that lead to the design and implementation of ICT4D tend to be politically motivated because ICT4D are simply interventions used by powerful actors and institutions to achieve their goals. These powerful actors include international donor agencies, politicians, top bureaucrats and private entities. In addition, it is argued that, due to these politically motivated agendas, ICT4D projects tend to be implemented in a top-down fashion and within an economic development perspective that appears to isolate the concerns of the country itself and the wellbeing of its citizens. In an attempt to try and redress social exclusion and imbalance, the capability approach drawn from the work of Amartya Sen (1999) stresses the enhancement of human capabilities and the moral aspects of development. Theoretically, the study is based on the key concepts of Sen’s Capability Approach. However, Lukes’s (1974) concepts of power are also drawn upon to address the limitation of the capability approach in addressing the concept of power. The research questions guiding this thesis are as follows: (1) How do the underlying motivations of different actors drive the design and implementation of ICT4D initiatives in developing countries? (2) How can researchers usefully conceptualise the relationship between ICT and development given the complexities in which ICT4D initiatives are undertaken? What conceptual framework could help theorise the complex relationship between ICT and development? Epistemologically, the study was conducted by following an interpretive research approach. The research was carried out in two states of Nigeria, Abuja and Plateau, and took place during the period of 2010-2011. The case-study centres on the initiation and implementation of the Computerised Electricity Management System (CEMS). Empirically, data collection techniques include 65 individual interviews, field observations and document analysis. The following are key findings of this thesis: ICT4D interventions are a complex process shaped at two levels. At the international level, they are shaped by donor agendas such as privatisation, and at the national or local level they are shaped by political and private interests. These agendas and interest are driven by powerful actors such as international donor agencies that often impose such interventions as a condition of aid, politicians who often use such interventions as campaign tools, and other top public and private actors who often use such interventions for personal gain. Hence, the beneficiaries of these projects usually have no say in the design of ICT4D projects but are rather forced to accept these interventions. Corruption is a major obstacle that hinders the expected ICT4D contributions in terms of individual opportunities and freedoms of living better lives inscribed in ICT4D interventions. Corruption exists as a “network” involving different actors present at three levels of ICT4D projects, namely the design, implementation and usage stages. Viewed from this perspective, the findings of this study show that international donor agencies, politicians, public bureaucrats and private entities are equally responsible for promoting corrupt practices in the context of ICT4D interventions. Theoretically, this thesis progresses the operationalisation of the capability approach (CA) by encapsulating the central aspect of the approach and Lukes’s (1974) concept of power. This is an innovative way of operationalising the capability approach by addressing its limitations in explaining the notion of power; the study thereby contributes to the field of IS using the capability approach and expanding the scope of theoretical analysis of contemporary ICT4D studies. Practically, to make the relationship between ICT and development more effective in meeting broader development goals, it is necessary for government policies to move beyond the mere provision of technology to also concentrate on the cultural, institutional, social and political aspects in ensuring the effective use of ICT resources, which should serve to improve people’s opportunity to participate more in social, political and economic activities.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / A prepaid water metering project was implemented in various high density suburbs around the city of Harare in 2015 with the intention of spreading the project throughout the whole country. It was anticipated that the use of prepaid water meters as a water management device would improve the social, health, hygiene and general well-being of the poor households in the Sunningdale high density suburb. This study will investigate the social implications that were caused by the use of prepaid water meters as a tool for water management among poor households in this high density suburbs. The impact of prepaid water meter technology has been felt by water consumers in Sunningdale who have shared their experiences and attitudes towards this recently introduced innovation in water service delivery within Harare high density suburbs. The study examines the implications of using prepaid water meters as a water conservation measure and considers the behaviour, health and hygiene as well as home-based livelihoods of low-income water users. This study also provides answers for the premature abandonment of the expansion of the prepaid water meter project into other surrounding cities in Zimbabwe.

This thesis investigates the relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being through a case study in Cornwall, UK. The study examines how aspects of the economic and socio-cultural environment interact and influence participants’ constructs of well-being, as well as mediate, through mechanisms of access, their ability to benefit from ecosystem services. The research design is informed by Sen’s capability approach as well as insights from literatures on access theory, human well-being, and ecosystem services. While Sen’s approach potentially offers a novel means to explore the ecosystem services and well-being relationship, it is currently underutilised in this research context. Adopting an in-depth qualitative research approach, data collection took place over 21 months with the same cohort of participants, who face various types of socio-economic disadvantage. Focus groups, life history interviews, photo elicitation, and semi-structured interviews were used to (a) elicit local constructs of well-being, (b) explore the role of ecosystem services for well-being, and (c) identify mechanisms of access that mediate participants’ ability to benefit from valued ecosystem services. The analysis shows that capabilities are interlinked and multidimensional. Therefore, existing socio-economic constraints have important implications for capability formation, and also lead to a series of trade-offs in converting capabilities into well-being. The findings deliver new insights into existing conceptualizations of the ecosystem services and well-being relationship, highlighting the role of cultural practices as sources of well-being, and identifying cultural ecosystem services as an overarching theme rather than a discrete service type. Four types of access mechanisms emerge from the data, including psychological mechanisms, demonstrating that physical distance is an insufficient indicator of exposure to ecosystem services. The thesis concludes by suggesting that developing a capability theory for ecosystem services could aid disaggregated analyses and deliver more nuanced insights into the complex links between ecosystem services and well-being, by shifting the focus from outcomes to opportunities and the processes that contribute to particular outcomes.

Doctor Educationis / This study examined the three education poverty alleviation policies in relation to learners’ capabilities and was grounded in the Capability Approach as a conceptual framework pioneered by the economist and philosopher, Amartya Sen. The study posits the view that the policies investigated and evaluated are essential in terms of contributing to the well-being of learners, particularly those living in poverty, as well as offering opportunities for every child, irrespective of social and/or economic background. The theoretical framework which conceptualise the dimensions of poverty, re-imagines the South African case. A local investigation was undertaken to understand the poverty dynamics in the Quintile 1 schools in the Frances Baard District of the Northern Cape Province. The empirical research was done using a mixed methodology within the pragmatic paradigm. The investigations were based on and informed by the policies and the components of the Capability Approach. An investigation into the extent and processes of the implementation of these policies, and their impact on poverty alleviation in the schools, was considered necessary in order to provide information on the successes and limitations encountered in the implementation processes. A framework is proposed including capabilities for the effective implementation of the educational poverty alleviation policies namely autonomy, knowledge and accountability.

Magister Artium - MA / In this thesis I present – from the perspective of the capability approach and within the context of South Africa – a conceptual analysis of the relationship between quality of life, education, poverty and inequality. The role of education within the South African context is of particular importance. The capability approach, which was pioneered by economist-philosopher Amartya Sen and significantly further developed by philosopher Martha Nussbaum and a growing number of other scholars across the humanities and social sciences, is a theoretical framework for the assessment and comparison of quality of life and social justice. The argument is made that when inquiring about the prosperity of a nation or region in the world, traditional economic approaches – such as gross domestic product (GDP), which is the most commonly used indicator of economic activity – are not, by themselves, accurate or adequate. When assessing individuals and societies‟ quality of life and sense of well-being, we need to know not only about their levels of income, wealth, or consumption; but also about the opportunities they have, or do not have, to choose and to act. The capability approach provides a more comprehensive conceptualisation of quality of life, because it takes into account broader and more encompassing measures of well-being. Conceptualising quality of life from the perspective of the capability approach, makes it clear that large numbers, if not the vast majority, of people experience many forms of unfreedom that impedes their development (i.e. their freedom to choose), and prevents them from leading lives they consider valuable and worthwhile. Many people lack capabilities. The capability approach asserts that the expansion of the real freedoms that people enjoy (i.e. what people are effectively able to be and to do) is both the primary end and the principle means of development. Expansion of freedom equates to enhanced individual agency as a result of an increase in capabilities. Furthermore, individual agency is central to addressing various deprivations (both individual and societal).

Ab den 1980er Jahren entwickelte Amartya Sen eine neue Wohlfahrtstheorie: den Capability Approach (Sen, 1979; 1985; 1992; 1999; 2009). Dabei ersetzen Capabilities und Functionings, d.h. das, was Personen tatsächlich in der Lage sind zu tun und zu sein, den traditionellen Einkommensansatz. Armut ist im Capability Approach das Unvermögen, ein bestimmtes Minimum an zentralen Capabilities zu erreichen, die benötigt werden, um das Leben nach den eigenen Vorstellungen zu gestalten. Der Capability Approach hat so viele interessante Eigenschaften, besonders in Bezug auf die Armutsmessung, dass er zunehmend Einfluss in der Wohlfahrtsökonomie gewinnt. Diese Entwicklung wird durch empirische Untersuchungen gefördert, die zeigen, dass dieser multidimensionale Ansatz zur Armutsmessung deutlich andere Ergebnisse generiert als der traditionelle Einkommensansatz (vgl. Klasen, 2000, Alkire und Santos, 2010, Figari, 2012). Der derzeitige multidimensionale Ansatz hat jedoch eine methodische Schwäche: Ungleichheit zwischen Armutsdimensionen wird entweder als Korrelationssensitivität definiert – womit Effizienz aber nicht Verteilungsgerechtigkeit berücksichtigt wird – oder als die Verteilung multipler Mangelerscheinungen in einer Gesellschaft – womit Verteilungsgerechtigkeit aber nicht Effizienz berücksichtigt wird. Die ersten beiden Kapitel dieser Dissertation widmen sich der Behebung dieser methodischen Schwäche. Dazu wird Ungleichheit zwischen Dimensionen zunächst als „korrelationssensitive Verteilung multipler Mangelerscheinungen in einer Gesellschaft“ definiert. Die ersten beiden Kapitel operationalisieren diese erweiterte Definition für den Fall ordinaler und kardinaler Armutsindices. Im Einzelnen wird ein neues Axiom für den ordinalen sowie den kardinalen Fall eingeführt, das das Ausmaß, mit dem ein Ungleichheitsfördernder Tausch Armut sinken (oder steigen) lässt, von der Beziehung zwischen den Armutsdimensionen abhängig macht. Diese Neuerung wird benutzt um eine neue Klasse ordinaler bzw. kardinaler Armutsindices herzuleiten. Diese zwei Klassen sind die ersten additiven Armutsindices die in der Lage sind, sowohl Ungleichheit als auch Korrelationssensitivität zu erfassen. Das dritte Kapitel nutzt das deutsche sozio-ökonomische Panel um zwei ordinale Armutsindices für Deutschland vorzuschlagen, die auf der zuvor entwickelten Methode basieren: den „Deutschen Korrelationssensitiven Armutsindex“ und den „Subjektiven Korrelationssensitiven Armutsindex“. Die beiden Indices werden mit dem offiziellen deutschen Armutsmaß, der Armutsgefährdungsquote, über Dimensionen, Regionen und über die Zeit hinweg verglichen. Die Resultate zeigen vor allem eines: die signifikanten Unterschiede in der Beurteilung von Armut und Armutstrends die durch die verschiedenen Indices versursacht werden und den hohen Mehrwert den die Operationalisierung des Capability Approachs darstellt.

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Yes / The capability approach (CA), while originally regarded as a ‘thin’ framework relating to an individual’s ‘States’, has been progressively deployed in wider spaces of social welfare and policy development. In general, the CA centralises an individual’s (or group’s) functionings, and the freedom to achieve those functionings. One under-researched area is the expression of capabilities when constraints are imposed hegemonically, that is, when an individual (or group) appears to consent to having their choices limited because of some underlying sociocultural ideology. Hegemonic forces are particularly relevant to the application of the CA against the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs); specifically, reduced inequalities (Goal 10) under its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, since it is generally under large-scale policy regime shifts that sociocultural inequalities are broken and renewed. New, less transparent hegemonies often emerge within policy changes that seek to address inequalities, and they typically embody a mitigating reaction to social risks emanating from policy change. The chapter is fundamentally a theoretical and conceptual paper, approached from an interdisciplinary context, and draws on concepts such as sustainable development, capability approach, and freedom in analysing hegemonic forces with respect to reducing inequalities. / The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo - 18 months after publication.