INSPIRE
International Research and Developments
Sustainable Development Research Network (SDRN) Briefing Three, Wellbeing Concepts and Challenges, 2005
Current interest in the issues of wellbeing spans a wide range of policy arenas, from local government, health and education to the work of the devolved administrations, and this reflects the recent growth in academic work in this area. However, the wellbeing research has yet to produce many specific policy recommendations.
This briefing, the third in the SDRN Policy Briefing series, provides an initial overview of the research evidence regarding wellbeing as a concept and its utility in future policymaking. It provides an introduction to the different definitions and conceptualisations of wellbeing, and their main strengths and weaknesses. It then begins to explore how public policy might be changed by a more explicit focus on wellbeing, and sets out a number of areas for further research.
This report can be found at: http://www.sd-research.org.uk/wellbeing/home.php or in pdf format at: http://www.sd-research.org.uk/wellbeing/documents/FinalWellbeingPolicyBriefing.pdf
National Center of Education Statistics, Youth Indicators, 2005: Trends in the Well-being of American Youth
Youth Indicators was designed to meet the needs of individuals who are interested in viewing trends in the well-being of American youth in various social contexts that may relate to youth education and learning. Youth Indicators contains statistics that address important aspects of the lives of youth, including family, schooling, work, community, and health. This report focuses on American youth and young adults 14 to 24 years old.
The report can be found at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2005050 or in pdf format at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/2005050.pdf
The Well-Being of Inuit Communities in Canada, 2006
Much emphasis has recently been put on examining the living conditions existing within Canada’s Aboriginal communities. Of particular interest is the research challenge to produce a measure of the well-being of populations residing within such communities. As such, the Strategic Research and Analysis Directorate (SRAD) at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) has measured and compared the well-being of First Nations in Canada with that of Other Canadian communities and has assessed disparities over time (McHardy and O’Sullivan 2004; O’Sullivan and McHardy, 2004).
This initial exercise has lead to several questions which warrant further research. Amongst the issues raised was the inclusion of other types of Aboriginal communities, such as Inuit communities within the larger grouping of “Other Canadian communities” to which First Nations were compared. It is also interesting to look at such Aboriginal community types in relation to one another and in relation to other communities in order to push further our understanding of Aboriginal well-being.
This article begins to address this issue by examining Inuit communities in relation to First Nations and Other Canadian communities. As such, it represents an extension of the previous work carried out by SRAD but giving more recognition to the specificity of Inuit communities.
This report can be found at: http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/pr/ra/index_e.html or in pdf format at: http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/pr/ra/cwb/icc/icc_e.pdf
The 2006 Social Report: Indicators of social wellbeing in New Zealand
The Social Report 2006 uses a set of statistical indicators to monitor trends across 10 “domains”, or areas of people’s lives. Together these domains provide a picture of wellbeing and quality of life in New Zealand.
The Social Report 2006 is the fifth in the annual series. It builds on the social monitoring framework first established by The Social Report 2001 and uses the same outcome domains and indicators as last year’s report. This year’s report contains additional information on trends in social wellbeing since the mid-1980s.
The regional and territorial authority information provided for the first time last year has been updated on the social report website. This regional information has also been published in companion books to The Social Report 2006 (The Social Report 2006 Regional Indicators). This year, in addition to providing the most recent data for regions and territorial authorities, the Ministry of Social Development has included time series information where it is available. This will allow councils and others working locally to assess progress over time and to compare themselves with other regions. The regional information has become a core part of the social report and will continue to be updated regularly.
The Social Report has four key aims:
- to provide and monitor over time measures of wellbeing and quality of life that complement existing economic and environmental indicators
- to compare New Zealand with other countries on measures of wellbeing
- to provide greater transparency in government and to contribute to better informed public debate
- to help identify key issues and areas where we need to take action, which can in turn help with planning and decision making.
This report can be found at: http://www.socialreport.msd.govt.nz/ or in pdf format at: http://www.socialreport.msd.govt.nz/documents/social-report-2006.pdf
The Happy Planet Index: An index of human well-being and environmental impact, 2006
The New Economics Foundation’s new global measure of progress, the 'Happy Planet Index', reveals for the first time that happiness doesn't have to cost the Earth. It shows that people can live long, happy lives without using more than their fair share of the Earth's resources. The new international ranking of environmental impact and well-being reveals a very different picture of the wealth, and poverty, of nations.
The report, 'The Happy Planet Index: An index of human well-being and environmental impact', moves beyond crude ratings of nations according to national income, measured by Gross Domestic Product to produce a more accurate picture of the progress of nations based on the amount of the Earth's resources they use, and the length and happiness of people's lives.
The Happy Planet Index strips the view of the economy back to its absolute basics: what we put in (resources), and what comes out (human lives of different length and happiness). The resulting Index of the 178 nations for which data is available, reveals that the world as a whole has a long way to go. In terms of delivering long and meaningful lives within the Earth's environmental limits - all nations could do better. No country achieves an overall 'high' score on the Index, and no country does well on all three indicators.
This report can be found at: http://www.neweconomics.org/gen/z_sys_publicationdetail.aspx?pid=225 or in pdf format at: http://www.neweconomics.org/gen/uploads/dl44k145g5scuy453044gqbu11072006194758.pdf
Current Issues: Measures of Wellbeing: there is more to it than GDP, 2006
Happiness is what people cherish most. In order to influence happiness, policymakers need measures for it. So far, there is no consensus on the best measure.
GDP only measures the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. It is the most widely followed metric for assessing an economy’s performance. However, GDP includes many items that do not help well-being: depreciation, income going to foreigners, and regrettables like security expenditure.
Economic well-being is a broader concept, but still restricted to material aspects. It is influenced by parts of GDP, by non-market activity, leisure and wealth. Unemployment and income inequality tend to reduce economic well-being. The Centre for the Study of Living Standards sees the highest economic well-being in Norway, France and Belgium.
Individual living conditions also include non-material aspects such as health, life expectancy, education and the state of the environment. The Weighted Index of Social Progress sees Sweden, Denmark and Norway on top, while the Happy Planet Index sees Colombia and Costa Rica among the leaders.
Happiness, as the ultimate goal, requires the most encompassing measure. This happiness depends primarily on family, friends, work satisfaction and activities. Income does not play a major role. Unfortunately, society-wide happiness – as assessed via surveys – does not change much over time.
More and more countries are publishing or developing national well-being accounts. This trend may soon also reach continental Europe. Understanding the different layers of well-being is crucial for understanding choices made by individuals and policymakers.
This report can be found at: http://www.dbresearch.com/PROD/DBR_INTERNET_EN-PROD/PROD0000000000202587.pdf;jsessionid=1:451222c9:87a20b23d84617b
Urban Nexus No. 13 - Urban Quality of Life and Community Well-being Indicators, 2003
Urban Nexus is a, a monthly e-bulletin of policy research, news and events on cities and communities launched by the Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN) in October 2002. Urban Nexus is for policy makers, researchers and interested members of the public seeking up-to-date information, from Canadian and non-Canadian sources, about new research on cities.
This issue of Urban Nexus highlights key research debates, and trends in the use of indicators in cities and communities
This bulletin and other related articles can be found at: http://www.cprn.org/en/doc.cfm?doc=528
Other languages