The Role of Access in the Way towards Development

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Over the last decade, Amartya Sen s approach has been a leading one and it goes without saying that his contributions culminated in Development as Freedom to development studies have been remarkable. While freedom is of course important, the author contends that Sen s privileging of unfreedom as the causal factor in underdevelopment overlooks some important elements of vulnerability which derive not only from unfreedom, but also from the structure of power. This is the reason why the author re-considers Sen s theories in the light of the critical importance of the vulnerability concept. Espousing wholeheartedly Sen s foundational concepts, but still arguing that his ultimate view needs revising, this book contributes significantly to the ongoing debate regarding how one should view development and what is central to address in such a complex exercise.