Children’s Rights and the Capability Approach

This academic work thoughtfully bridges the critical gap between the theoretical framework of children's rights and the practical application of the capability approach, examining how abstract rights transform into tangible abilities and freedoms for children. The book investigates this process across diverse real-world settings, including children's parliaments, organized leisure, and contexts of vulnerability, providing concrete case studies that ground its theoretical discussions. It tackles complex questions of child agency, reflexivity, and evolving citizenship with scholarly depth, making it particularly valuable for understanding the mechanisms through which rights become lived experiences. This exploration offers a sophisticated lens for examining how children's participation and education contribute to their developing capabilities throughout the life cycle.

What distinguishes this volume is its rigorous interdisciplinary approach that connects legal rights frameworks with human development theory, providing professionals with practical insights into implementing rights-based approaches in varied institutional settings. Researchers, policymakers, and advanced students in child development, social work, and children's rights will find its nuanced analysis of participation structures and capability formation particularly illuminating for program design and policy evaluation. The book's emphasis on children's own reflexivity and agency challenges adult-centric models of rights implementation, offering a more dynamic understanding of how children co-construct their capabilities. Its comprehensive examination of how rights translate into real-world functioning makes it an essential contribution to creating more effective and child-centered support systems.