A focus on educational choice has social justice consequences - an empirical study informed by Sen’s capability approach

Abstract

This article demonstrates that in Denmark there  is considerable focus on educational and career choices during the last year of lower-secondary school, and investigates the possibility of using Amartya Sen’s capability approach as a lens to analyse this focus. It is argued that attention to the processes occurring before choices are made is of central importance, as these help to give students a genuine opportunity to choose from a broader range of options. This consideration is important from a social-justice perspective even if students end up choosing what they would have chosen without broader knowledge and reflection.