OPHI Workshop on Measuring Freedoms

A great deal of attention has focused on empirical studies related to multidimensional poverty. These could be conceived of as the measurement of functionings. Considerably less attention has been applied to empirical measures of capabilities and opportunity freedoms. Measures of process freedoms such as empowerment and political freedom have been developed, but the integration of these measures with the space of functionings has not occurred. This workshop focused on the borderlands between theoretical and empirical work on freedom. 

The overall goal of OPHI’s May workshop is to identify the theoretical strengths and weaknesses of alternative approaches to measuring freedoms, to clarify which techniques are most suited for empirical studies, and to chart concrete directions for future research. 

The workshop is by invitation only. Working papers and presentations will be posted as soon as they become available 

Presenters: Sabina Alkire, Paul Anand, Tania Burchardt, Stefan Dercon, Indranil Dutta, Enrica Chiappero-Martinetti, Marc Fleurbaey, James Foster, Erik Schokkaert, Sebastian Silva Leander, Martin van Hees 

Confirmed participants: Ricardo Aparacio, Koen Decanq, David Clark, Jean-Luc Dubois, Martha Hoskins, Jaya Krishnakumar, Maria Ana Lugo, Esfandiar Maasoumi, Aloysius Mom Njong, Maria Emma Santos, Suman Seth, Randy Spence, Erik Thorbecke, Sujata Visaria, Gaston Yalonetzky 

OPHI gratefully acknowledges support from the International Development Research Council (IDRC) Canada, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA); and the Pardee Center for Longer Range Futures, Boston University for this event, without which it would not be possible.