Sen and the art of quality of life maintenance: towards a working definition of quality of life
The capability approach advocated by Amartya Sen provides a new philosophical framework for social policy. It also permits re-appraisal of a central concept in health and social care, and more recently international development - 'quality of life'. This paper begins by comparing Sen's...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Working paper |
| Language: | English |
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Wellbeing in Developing Countries Research Group
2006
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| Subjects: |
| _version_ | 1797104223277547520 |
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| author | Ruta, D Camfield, L Donaldson, C |
| author_facet | Ruta, D Camfield, L Donaldson, C |
| author_sort | Ruta, D |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | The capability approach advocated by Amartya Sen provides a new philosophical framework for social policy. It also permits re-appraisal of a central concept in health and social care, and more recently international development - 'quality of life'. This paper begins by comparing Sen's capability view of quality of life with current views predominant in health care, and re-defines quality of life as 'the gap between desired and actual capabilities'. A causal pathway linking resources such as income, to capabilities (including health), and finally to quality of life, is postulated. The notion of 'cognitive homeostasis' is introduced to explain how a curvilinear relationship is observed between resources, capabilities, and quality of life. A separate set of factors (eg: spirituality, loss of a partner, chronic pain) is identified that act to sustain or destabilise the cognitive homeostatic mechanism. The paper concludes by examining some of the implications of this final causal model for social justice and policy evaluation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T06:30:51Z |
| format | Working paper |
| id | oxford-uuid:f5f33b23-ed21-4ca8-a3a5-c748f6793a28 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T06:30:51Z |
| publishDate | 2006 |
| publisher | Wellbeing in Developing Countries Research Group |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:f5f33b23-ed21-4ca8-a3a5-c748f6793a282022-03-27T12:31:09ZSen and the art of quality of life maintenance: towards a working definition of quality of lifeWorking paperhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_8042uuid:f5f33b23-ed21-4ca8-a3a5-c748f6793a28Development and Refugees (see also Sociology)Evaluation of social policies,programmes and practicePovertyEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetWellbeing in Developing Countries Research Group2006Ruta, DCamfield, LDonaldson, CThe capability approach advocated by Amartya Sen provides a new philosophical framework for social policy. It also permits re-appraisal of a central concept in health and social care, and more recently international development - 'quality of life'. This paper begins by comparing Sen's capability view of quality of life with current views predominant in health care, and re-defines quality of life as 'the gap between desired and actual capabilities'. A causal pathway linking resources such as income, to capabilities (including health), and finally to quality of life, is postulated. The notion of 'cognitive homeostasis' is introduced to explain how a curvilinear relationship is observed between resources, capabilities, and quality of life. A separate set of factors (eg: spirituality, loss of a partner, chronic pain) is identified that act to sustain or destabilise the cognitive homeostatic mechanism. The paper concludes by examining some of the implications of this final causal model for social justice and policy evaluation. |
| spellingShingle | Development and Refugees (see also Sociology) Evaluation of social policies,programmes and practice Poverty Ruta, D Camfield, L Donaldson, C Sen and the art of quality of life maintenance: towards a working definition of quality of life |
| title | Sen and the art of quality of life maintenance: towards a working definition of quality of life |
| title_full | Sen and the art of quality of life maintenance: towards a working definition of quality of life |
| title_fullStr | Sen and the art of quality of life maintenance: towards a working definition of quality of life |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sen and the art of quality of life maintenance: towards a working definition of quality of life |
| title_short | Sen and the art of quality of life maintenance: towards a working definition of quality of life |
| title_sort | sen and the art of quality of life maintenance towards a working definition of quality of life |
| topic | Development and Refugees (see also Sociology) Evaluation of social policies,programmes and practice Poverty |
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