Education, Human Development and the Capability Approach

By Caroline Sarojini Hart

This book provides readers with an accessible introduction to how the capability approach to human development can be used in the field of education, in a global context. As the sustainable development goals set a new agenda for the coming years, and the human development and capability approach grows in popularity, this book argues that education plays an important role across all areas of sustainable development.

The book first explains the foundational concepts associated with Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum's work on the capability approach, explaining the role that formal education plays in the development of individual and group capabilities, and how processes of learning and teaching might reproduce, reinforce or revolt against dominant power structures and social inequalities. The second half of the book goes through the different stages of formal education in turn, Early Years, Primary and Secondary Education, Post-compulsory Education, and Informal Education, illustrating key opportunities and challenges for using the capability approach to inform empirical work in the field.

Written by a seasoned expert in the field, this short and highly readable overview of the application of the capability approach in the field of education will be of interest to students and researchers, as well as to practitioners, NGOs, and charities working in education and development.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1138486132
• ISBN13: 9781138486133
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Routledge