Review article
https://doi.org/10.5559/di.25.4.06
Wellbeing – Conceptual Background and Research Practices
Anna Dłużewska
; Sveučilište Kazimierz Wielki, Bydgoszcz, Poljska
Abstract
The term wellbeing was introduced with the Gross National
Product concept (understood as welfare) and then with the
Bruntland Commission Statement, together with the concept
of sustainable development. It gained momentum after the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2003, 2005), which
opened a new field for interdisciplinary projects. The MEA
concept means linking wellbeing to ecosystem services and
to sustainable development, looking upon them as
inextricable elements of one global process, which are
necessary to ensure "our common future". Although the term
wellbeing is used very frequently in research and literature,
there is a lot of confusion about the content of its meaning.
It is sometimes understood in purely economic terms,
based on the MEA (2005) definition, from a medical/health
point of view or in the socio-psychological way – as the
fulfilment of needs or happiness. The article above is an
attempt to present the main issues of conceptual
background and research practices for wellbeing. The
author begins with a conceptual background moving on
to the research of wellbeing. The last part of the article gives
an overview of participant disciplines (their methodologies
and perspectives), the main research topics, and finally –
the main gaps in contemporary research and challenges
for future ones.
Keywords
wellbeing; subjective wellbeing; methodologies; research practice
Hrčak ID:
171224
URI
Publication date:
21.12.2016.
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