The state and fate of nations: Implications of subjective measures of personal and social quality of life

R. Eckersley*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    40 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The equation of 'more' with 'better' - of standard of living with quality of life - is at the heart of a growing international debate about indicators of progress. At one level, the debate is about the adequacy of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) as the dominant indicator of national performance. However, the debate also reaches far beyond this question to challenge conventional thinking about progress. Quality of life includes both objective and subjective elements, so indicators of progress should include measures of how people feel about their lives. Drawing mainly on Australian data - but also on US and international studies - this analysis examines and differentiates between subjective measures of personal and social quality of life, and discusses their use in evaluating whether life is getting better - or worse.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)3-27
    Number of pages25
    JournalSocial Indicators Research
    Volume52
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2000

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'The state and fate of nations: Implications of subjective measures of personal and social quality of life'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this