Subjective well-being capabilities: Bridging the gap between the capability approach and subjective well-being research

Arbeitspapier

As a result of the disenchantment with traditional income-based measures of welfare, alternative welfare measures have gained increasing attention in recent years. Two of the most prominent measures of well-being come from subjective well-being research and the (objective) capability approach. Despite their promising features, both approaches have a number of weaknesses when considered on their own. This paper sets out to examine to what extent a fusion between both approaches can overcome the weaknesses of both individual approaches. It uses features of the capability framework to enrich what is basically a subjective well-being perspective. Key drawbacks of normative subjective well-being views can be overcome by focussing welfare assessments on Subjective Well-being Capabilities (SWC), i.e. focussing on the substantive opportunities of individuals to pursue and achieve happiness.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Papers on Economics and Evolution ; No. 1302

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft
• Subject: subjective well-being ; capability approach ; policy-making ; normative economics

Contributors, Location and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Binder, Martin
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Max Planck Institute of Economics
• (where): Jena
• (when): 2013

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/88254
• Last update: 20.09.2024, 8:23 AM CEST