A seminar, jointly convened by the following networks :

Speakers:

Dr, Rosie Peppin-Vaughan, Institute of Education, UCL

Capability Theory: Introduction to basic concepts

In the first session, Rosie Peppin Vaughan will give an introduction to the capability approach, looking at its initial development as an evaluative framework for looking at poverty and inequality, and outlining the basic concepts. The talk will also map some of the applications so far in education, and gender.

Professor Melanie Walker, University of the Free State South Africa

The capability approach and higher education research: theoretical and empirical insights’

The capability (or capabilities) approach developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum has attracted interest among higher education researchers looking to develop an alternative imaginary for policy and practices. It is fair to say that the approach is not theoretically widespread; yet it is deserving of a wider audience for the conceptual and empirical insights it can generate for rich dialogues about more just higher education across diverse North and South contexts and systems; for bringing debates about higher education on the one hand, and development on the other into conversation; for its interdisciplinary approach; and for its grasp of intersectionalities. This paper sets out the conceptual architecture of the approach and then considers its empirical potential in relation to work on employability and inclusive development and on gender and agency. Gaps and limitations in the approach are also considered.

Professor Monica Mclean, University of Nottingham

Epistemological access and capability expansion at university