Social inclusion, labour and capability

Abstract

Social policies are required to go beyond the compensation of disadvantages obtained by offering goods and services capable of guarantee and widen individual and collective decision-making capabilities. In this sense, capabilities come into play, since they are the elements that relate to freedom and human rights—which are related to all dimensions of human life.
Thus, even unemployment might be regarded as a case of capability deprivation, which results in an unaccomplished activation of empowerment processes (Sen, 2004; Nussbaum, 2002).
This article deals with the issue of acquiring capabilities that are functional to the inclusion in the labour market. The research this paper refers to is still ongoing; its focus is on the theme of social inclusion of people with disabilities thanks to vocational induction. The Italian context—which is framed by this research into a wider international frame—is still well-advanced, although it runs the risk of ceasing to develop as a result of the current economical crisis