Explaining Latin American Migration, 1960-2024

An Empirical Application of Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach

Abstract

This paper aims to evaluate the usefulness of Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach at explaining migration. For this, the author introduces a multiple regression model whose independent variables include indices from the V-Dem project tapping such capabilities. These capabilities are complemented with two dimensions taken from Mathias Czaika & Constantin Reinprecht’s Taxonomy (Czaika & Reinprecht, 2022). The outcome variable is Latin American net migration. Migration is conceived as part of broader processes of social transformation and development, which affect the migratory phenomenon through their social, economic, cultural, demographic and political advances (de-Haas, 2021). Martha Nussbaum’s Capabilities captures these broader processes of social transformation and development, as it includes not only the abilities residing inside a person but also the freedoms or opportunities created by a combination of personal abilities and the political, social, and economic environment.