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Social
Competencies: Human Development beyond the individual
Individuals cannot flourish alone; indeed,
they cannot function alone. The human development approach, however, has been essentially individualistic, assuming that
development is the expansion of individuals’ capabilities or freedoms. Yet
there are aspects of societies that affect individuals but cannot be assessed
at the individual level because they are based on relationships, such as how
well families or communities function, summarized for society as a whole in the
ideas of social cohesion and social inclusion.
Individuals are bound up with others.
Social institutions affect individuals’ identities and choices. Being a member
of a healthy society is an essential part of a thriving existence. So one task
of the human development approach is to explore the nature of social institutions that are favourable for
human flourishing. Development then has to be assessed not only for the
short-run impact on individual capabilities, but also for whether society
evolves in a way that supports human flourishing. Social conditions affect not only the outcomes of individuals
in a particular society today, but also those of future generations.
