Critical transitions : human capacity development across the lifespan

For each of these life junctures, attention is given to three critical questions: (1) what are the essential participation opportunities that must be extended to citizens in order to promote sustainable development in the context of a rapidly globalizing, information-rich world? (2) what factors act as inhibitors or enablers with respect to the creation of these participation opportunities? and (3) what are the inhibitors and enablers that determine the degree to which such participation opportunities are accessed? In addressing the essential participation opportunities that must be present at the first stage of life, for example, education, health, nutrition, and community development, the book seeks to create a single, unified policy tapestry. It reflects a vision of the future in which two major trends (diffusion of information and diffusion of capital) play major roles in shaping the everyday reality of women, children, and men in the developing world. Rather than the term human capital, which focuses on the skills, attitudes, and productive capacities of the labor force, it uses the term human capacity, which deals with the constellation of skills, attitudes, and behaviors that individuals optimally exhibit in their multiple roles as community members, parents, learners, workers, consumers, and citizens. The underlying assumption is that in each of these roles, individuals make choices that have a direct and profound bearing on the quality of life of themselves and those around them. The analytical framework employed in the book is designed to facilitate the articulation of complex interrela- tionships which, in turn, should expedite the assessment of policy options and investment choices. The book examines three levels of the environment in an attempt to identify the contextual variables that determine the degree to which participation opportunities are present. At the macro or national level, focus is on policy choices and investment priorities. At the micro or community level, the focus shifts to how these policy choices and investment priorities are translated into services and programs. At the household level, attention is given to factors that favor or mitigate against individual decisions to access participation opportunities as well as the consequences of these choices. Includes annotated bibliography. (Author abstract, modified)