Capabilities and Functionings: The Role of Social Capital for Accessing New Capabilities

This paper connects two relatively recent streams of research in social science: the capabilities approach and the literature on social capital. The aim is to show that these are strictly connected in a dynamic process linking functionings and capabilities through social capital. The ability to attain new capabilities is enhanced by the possession of social capital; hence investing in its accumulation allows individuals to improve their welfare. Furthermore, new capabilities allow the individual to create new connections and access new networks, accruing his or her stock of social capital and opening the door to the possibility of attaining new capabilities. The paper hypothesizes that a dynamic spiral interweaves social capital, capabilities and functionings.