Barometers of Quality of Life Around the Globe : How are we doing?

Social indicators inform citizens and governments alike on progress in society. The past decade has seen the birth of regional social barometers designed to monitor quality of life in all corners of the globe. Social scientists from different societal backgrounds have developed sets of indicators to guide policy in promoting citizen welfare and to monitor progress in achieving social goals. In many cases, this has been a team effort engaging policy makers and citizens. The contributions to this book span quality-of-life assessments on six continents ranging from the Arctic in the far north to 'down-under' Australia in the south. Of interest to both social scientists and policy makers, regional barometers reflect local nuances that capturing the essence of well-being under very different living conditions and in tune with popular expectations of the good life.   The authors, all experts from different regions of the world, sketch the survey or surveys that serve as quality-of-life barometers in their part of the world. They share with us the most fascinating trends they have observed in survey results in the new millennium.