This paper explores how empirical capability approach studies assess well-being for young and old generations in affluent countries, defined as high-income OECD countries. After a brief overview on the theoretical cap...This paper explores how empirical capability approach studies assess well-being for young and old generations in affluent countries, defined as high-income OECD countries. After a brief overview on the theoretical capability background and empirical core decisons, the authors discuss empirical capability studies on the well-being of children, adolescents and the elderly. The authors find that the issues of child and youth well-being have been increasing interested by capability researchers while despite of the importance of demographic change, few researchers deal with old-age issues. The authors conclude that for young as well as old generations, capability approach studies confirm that income assessment is not sufficient to capture well-being for the young and the old but has to be enriched by a more comprehensive perspective on capabilities and functionings. Moreover, it is recommendable and issues that have already entered the agenda of studies on for research on elderly to adopt research methods, questions capabilities of children and young adults. As capability sets for both, young and old generations are in general characterized by changes, i.e., expansions in the case of children, declines in the case of older people, both may benefit from a more dynamic perspective on life cycles on their way to potential dynamic capability theories and empirics.展开更多
文摘This paper explores how empirical capability approach studies assess well-being for young and old generations in affluent countries, defined as high-income OECD countries. After a brief overview on the theoretical capability background and empirical core decisons, the authors discuss empirical capability studies on the well-being of children, adolescents and the elderly. The authors find that the issues of child and youth well-being have been increasing interested by capability researchers while despite of the importance of demographic change, few researchers deal with old-age issues. The authors conclude that for young as well as old generations, capability approach studies confirm that income assessment is not sufficient to capture well-being for the young and the old but has to be enriched by a more comprehensive perspective on capabilities and functionings. Moreover, it is recommendable and issues that have already entered the agenda of studies on for research on elderly to adopt research methods, questions capabilities of children and young adults. As capability sets for both, young and old generations are in general characterized by changes, i.e., expansions in the case of children, declines in the case of older people, both may benefit from a more dynamic perspective on life cycles on their way to potential dynamic capability theories and empirics.
