scholarly journals Humanizing development: taking stock of Amartya Sen’s capability approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (203) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Garcés Velástegui
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Capability Approach ◽  
Positive Change ◽  
Desirable Outcome ◽  
A Current ◽  
Sen’S Capability Approach

Amartya Sen’s capability approach redefined development in terms of people and their quality of life. Since development suggests the idea of positive change, it highlights what is worth changing, the desirable outcome and the desirable way to achieve it. This influential framework has succeeded in engaging different disciplines in constructive debate. There is a growing, and dispersed, literature adding and critiquing it. Hence, providing a current conceptual account of the approach, on its own terms, to assess its contribution to the project it undertakes, address its alleged shortcomings, and point to avenues to further the debate seems warranted. This is particularly timely given its 30 years of influence over public policy, as evidenced by the United Nations’ Human Development Reports

scholarly journals PRECARIOUS, MORE PRECARIOUS, MOST PRECARIOUS? THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF WASTE PICKERS IN THE KAROO

2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rinie Schenck ◽  
Kotie Viljoen ◽  
Derick Blaauw
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Capability Approach ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sen’S Capability Approach ◽  
Waste Pickers

Towns in the Karoo region currently offer few income‑generating opportunities, resulting in people seeking informal waste‑picking opportunities on the streets and landfills. This article aims to investigate the level of precariousness of waste pickers in the context of the Karoo towns in comparison with the rest of South Africa using Sen’s capability approach. A cross‑sectional research design was used, interviewing 75 informal landfill waste pickers and 23 street waste pickers in nine Karoo towns. The results indicated that, in some respects, the situation of the Karoo waste pickers is more precarious than those in other areas of South Africa

Voice Disorders in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and the Role of CPAP

2018 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Roy ◽  
Ray M. Merrill ◽  
Jenny Pierce ◽  
Krishna M. Sundar
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Voice Disorders ◽  
Acid Reflux ◽  
Voice Disorder ◽  
Apnea Hypopnea Index ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
A Current

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by frequent interruptions in breathing related to upper airway collapse during sleep and may adversely affect phonatory function. This study aimed to: (1) establish the prevalence, risks, and quality of life burden of voice disorders in OSA and (2) explore the relation between voice disorders and positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. Study Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Analyses were based on 94 individuals with OSA (53 men, 41 women; mean age = 54.7 ± 12.8 years) who completed a telephone interview. Results: Twenty-eight percent of participants reported having a current voice disorder. Of those with a current voice disorder, 83% had experienced symptoms for at least a year, and 58% had symptoms for at least 4 years. The prevalence of a current voice disorder was greater in women than men (44% vs 15%, P = .0020) but did not vary significantly across different age groups, body mass index (BMI), apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) severity, or medical history. After adjusting for sex, consistent use of PAP therapy (with humidification) was associated with (1) lower occurrence of voice disorders in women (Mantel-Haenszel [MH] χ2 P = .0195), (2) reduced snoring severity accompanied by fewer voice disorders in men (MH χ2 P = .0101), and (3) fewer reports of acid reflux as a possible trigger for voice problems (MH χ2 P = .0226). Patients with OSA who also had a current voice disorder experienced lower overall quality of life compared to those without. Conclusions: Chronic, longstanding voice disorders are common in women with OSA and produce significant adverse effects on quality of life. Nightly PAP use (with humidification) was associated with fewer voice symptoms and reduced severity of snoring and acid reflux as possible contributors. Further research is necessary to better understand the origin of these voice disorders in OSA and their potential response to treatment.

scholarly journals Standard of living, quality of life and per capita GDP: a South African experience

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 882-889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Tabani Mpofu
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Government Spending ◽  
Government Expenditure ◽  
Standard Of Living ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Per Capita

This study looked at the phenomenon of the quality of life (QoL) as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI), which is a composite statistic used to rank countries by the level of “human development”. Measuring and determining what is QoL is not an easy task. In this study, using HDI as the yardstick for QoL, the concepts of standard of living and per capita income were examined closely in relation to the role of government in its public expenditure programmes and how these programmes in turn influenced QoL. This research question was seen as the key to addressing the phenomenon of QoL. In particular, the role of government expenditure on health and education seems to signify the commitment of a government in improving the HDI or QoL. Using data on government expenditure of South Africa for the period 1995 to 2011, the relationships amongst these variables were examined. The findings indicate that there seems to be a significant correlation between HDI and government spending on health and education as a percentage of GDP, but there seems to be of no significance to include the variable government spending on health and education as a percentage of total government spending. The findings tell us that between 1995 and 2011, government spending on education as a percentage of GDP has had a positive impact on HDI. However, government spending on health as a percentage of GDP has had a retarding effect as shown by the negative coefficient of variation. It then implies that for South Africa to realize the MDG goals and improve on the HDI, public spending on health as a percentage of GDP needs to be significantly increased.

scholarly journals Environmental entrepreneurship and public policy: the case of the Programa Emprender para la Vida (Entrepreneurship for Life Program)

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (61) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana María Arroyave Puerta ◽  
Flor Ángela Marulanda Valencia
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Colombian Government ◽  
Depth Interviews

Nowadays, several mega-trends capture the attention of governments, academia and the public in general given their implications for the quality of life and the development of nations. This work deals with two of them: entrepreneurship and environmental protection, as a result of research aimed at analyzing the processes, actors and results of the “Entrepreneurship for Life” Program led by the Valle de Aburrá Metropolitan Area, executed during the period from 2012 to 2015, in order to contribute to the improvement of public policies on eco-entrepreneurship. The methodology of the Synergy System1, applied by the Colombian Government, was used to appraise public policies. The required information was collected through in-depth interviews with the creator of the program, the entrepreneurs who benefited from it, officials of the entities involved and experts. Then, it was complemented by the analysis of documents such as minutes, reports and other sources. Among other results, it was evident that, although the public policy on environmental entrepreneurship is still incipient, the evaluated Program met the objectives for which it was created.

scholarly journals RELAÇÃO ENTRE OS INDICADORES DE GOVERNANÇA DOS PAÍSES E O ÍNDICE DE DESENVOLVIMENTO HUMANO

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Aguiar Filho ◽  
Marco Antônio Tomé ◽  
Adilson De Brito Farias ◽  
Celso Machado Machado Junior ◽  
Daielly Melina Nassif Mantovani Ribeiro
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Human Development ◽  
World Bank ◽  
Human Development Index ◽  
Significant Positive Correlation ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
Development Level ◽  
The World

O desenvolvimento humano dos países se trata de um tema em destaque que exige ações governamentais para a melhoria da qualidade de vida de seus cidadãos. O problema de dimensionar este desenvolvimento frente às ações de governo determina o objetivo de analisar a existência de correlação entre os indicadores de governança dos países calculados pelo Banco Mundial (WGI) com o índice de desenvolvimento humano calculado pela Organização das nações Unidas (IDH). Para investigar essa hipótese foram efetuadas análises de correlação entre o IDH e as seis dimensões de governança do WGI. Os resultados da pesquisa confirmam a existência de significativa correlação positiva entre o IDH e o WGI, estabelecendo assim o entendimento da complementariedade destes indicadores, e a possibilidade de sua utilização no estabelecimento de ações governamentais.Palavras-chave: Governança dos países. WGI. Desenvolvimento humano. IDH. Desenvolvimento sustentável.ABSTRACTThe human development level of the countries is a key issue that requires government actions to improve the quality of life of its citizens. The problem of dimensioning this development in relation to government actions determines the objective of analyzing the existence of a correlation between the indicators of governance of the countries calculated by the World Bank (WGI) and the human development index calculated by the United Nations (IDH). To investigate this hypothesis, correlation analyzes were performed between HDI and the six governance dimensions of WGI. The results of the research confirm the existence of a significant positive correlation between the HDI and the WGI, thus establishing the understanding of the complementarity of these indicators and the possibility of their use in the establishment of governmental actions.Keywords: Worldwide governance. WGI. Human development. HDI. Sustainable development.

Urbanization and Socio-Economic Growth in South Asia Region

2018 ◽  
pp. 843-867
Author(s):  
Jyoti Chandiramani ◽  
Aanchal Airy
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Economic Growth ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Human Development ◽  
World Bank Report ◽  
The People ◽  
Sustainable Urbanization ◽  
The World ◽  
Large Investment

Urbanization in the South Asia Region (SAR) stood at 34% (2014) and is relatively sluggish when compared to that of the World at 54%. The World Urbanization Prospects (2014) and World Bank Report (2016) reveals that the future urbanization globally will be concentrated in Asia and predominantly in the select countries of SAR - Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The chapter analyses the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the select countries, which are indicative of the quality of life of citizens, benchmarking it with that of Asia and the world. The analysis reveals the slow, messy and hidden nature of urbanization in the region which is required to be addressed. The conclusions recommend large investment and policy imperatives which should bring about sustainable urbanization ensuring basic urban services resulting in improved demographics, Human Development Indices and other socio-economic characteristics of the people in the region.

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