‘Capacity to aspire’ is a too often neglected component of human agency. It can be defined as the ability to project a desirable future and the realization of it. While all people have this capacity, it is not allowed to flourish equally. Vulnerable people tend to adapt their aspirations to their deprived conditions, feel less efficacious, and thus aspire less than privileged people. When citizens are treated as disadvantaged by public services, their perceptions and aspirations on welfare are lower. This calls for public and social services that promote and support the capacity to aspire, especially for vulnerable groups.
