Abstract
Much of Amartya Sen’s work has been directly policy-related, but his
methodology of policy analysis has not been explained in detail. Action-related
social science involves value-imbued procedures that guide the numerous
unavoidable choices. This theme was explored earlier by authors close to Sen’s
milieu such as Streeten and Stretton, and by forerunners including Dewey and
Myrdal. Assisted by Jean Drèze, Sen has evolved a form of policy analysis
guided by humanist values rather than those of mainstream economics.
Features of the methodology include: 1) A wider range of values employed in
valuation, with central attention to: how do and can people live? 2) Conceptual
investigation of the wider range of values. 3) Use of the wider range of values
to guide choice of topics and boundaries of analysis. 4) Hence a focus on
human realities, not on an arbitrary slice of reality selected according to
commercial significance and convenience for measurement. 5) Use of the
wider range of values to guide other decisions in analysis; thus a focus on the
socio-economic significance of results. 6) A matching focus on a wide range of
potential policy means. The paper characterizes Sen’s policy analysis
methodology, its roots in earlier work, and its relations to the UNDP Human
Development approach and kindred approaches.
methodology of policy analysis has not been explained in detail. Action-related
social science involves value-imbued procedures that guide the numerous
unavoidable choices. This theme was explored earlier by authors close to Sen’s
milieu such as Streeten and Stretton, and by forerunners including Dewey and
Myrdal. Assisted by Jean Drèze, Sen has evolved a form of policy analysis
guided by humanist values rather than those of mainstream economics.
Features of the methodology include: 1) A wider range of values employed in
valuation, with central attention to: how do and can people live? 2) Conceptual
investigation of the wider range of values. 3) Use of the wider range of values
to guide choice of topics and boundaries of analysis. 4) Hence a focus on
human realities, not on an arbitrary slice of reality selected according to
commercial significance and convenience for measurement. 5) Use of the
wider range of values to guide other decisions in analysis; thus a focus on the
socio-economic significance of results. 6) A matching focus on a wide range of
potential policy means. The paper characterizes Sen’s policy analysis
methodology, its roots in earlier work, and its relations to the UNDP Human
Development approach and kindred approaches.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Den Haag |
| Publisher | International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) |
| Number of pages | 31 |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2007 |
Publication series
| Series | ISS working papers. General series |
|---|---|
| Number | 451 |
| ISSN | 0921-0210 |