Conceptual Approaches to Wellbeing and Quality of Life - Essay Example

Conceptual Approaches to the Wellbeing and Quality Of Life Conceptual Approaches to the Wellbeing and Quality Of Life IntroductionSustainable development encompasses aspects that are germane to the reduction of poverty. The notion comprises the equity of nations, which imply a greater access to the available scarce resources and development associated benefits. Further, sustainable development formulations advocate for increased self-determination that imply a rise in citizen involvement and the poor in determining choices that affect their lives. Poor people living in the marginal areas lack jobs but survive through other livelihood sources for example hunting, gathering, agriculture, fishing, and remittances from unemployed benefits. These factors of life enhancement vary in importance and constitute a mix of commercial and subsistence activities. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the manner in which wellbeing and quality of life remains enhanced through available sources of sustenance. In addition, it is imperious to understand how the situation is achievable through income diversification activities that are compatible to the existing support and cultural systems (Tao and Wall, 2009, 137). The scopes of wellbeing resonating with social work values involve poverty elimination, promotion of social inclusion, elimination of oppression and violence elimination. In addition, it involves increased health investment, social support systems, and safeguarding and restoration of the natural environmental resources as well as the biosphere (Gamble, 2012, p.669). Indeed, the effects of globalization, democracy, and resources of water, gender issues, climatic change, and poverty reduction efforts influence wellbeing and the quality of life. In relation to wellbeing and the quality of life of human beings, leisure accountants for the freedom and capability to pursue human activities. Leisure informs and motivates issues of work-life balance, public health and the social welfare. Subjective wellbeing therefore, is a reflection of satisfaction of a person based on varied domains of life. The domains in this particular context involve the standard of living, achievements made in life, health and safety, personal relationships, future security, society-connectedness, and spirituality. Leisure explains more pertaining to satisfaction and wellbeing than the health, society-connectedness, safety and the future security. Essentially, leisure is the most robust domain of life that influence cross-cultural life and consistently contributes to life satisfaction and subjective wellbeing. Conceptual approaches to wellbeing and quality of life Conceptual approach to wellbeing Osberg’s configuration method to develop the economic index of wellbeing involves 18 items that are categorized and four main domains. These four major domains incorporate the flows per capita consumption, wealth stock per capita, economic security, and economic equality (Gamble, 2012, p.671). The method explains the growing income inequality gap among the advanced economies and discusses the wellbeing through generations. Societies for example, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development introduced social and gender indices that provide a platform to deliberate policy options in improving wellbeing among girls and women in the third world countries. The SIGI (social indicators and gender index) helps in the identification of the basis of gender inequalities. The efforts of identifying institutional discrimination adds to the process of measuring the wellbeing of populations in the developing states (Gamble, 2012, p.172). In the efforts to understand the diminished wellbeing, the (MPI) multidimensional poverty index measurement includes serious deprivations in the education sector, services, assets, and the outcomes of health. The robustness of MPI in particular as opposed to the simple measures of poverty assessment through income. In the bid to unravel the mystery of wellbeing, human rights have remained greatly used to encompass resist from torture and the attempts to demand stop to hunger and medical neglect. Despite the appeals of the ideas of the human rights, the situation is still considerable as being frail intellectually. Further, Sen (2005, p.151) asserts that the idea is seen as lacking a foundation, coherence and cogency. The conception of human capabilities and rights has a common motivation but differ in many distinctive ways. Human rights to some extent can remain seen as rights in relation to specified freedoms and the correlation obligation is associated with the duties to safeguard and expand the freedom. Freedoms and rights establish a connection between an individual wellbeing and the quality of life. On the other hand, processes and opportunities are aspects related to human rights and in turn have a greater impact on the wellbeing of individuals. For example, individuals with greater freedoms and capabilities are seem to be well-off in terms of wellbeing. It is also arguable that, they tend to possess increased quality and standards of life. It is essential to note that, opportunities and processes powerfully figure into the content of the human rights aspect. For example denial of one’ “due process”and remained sentenced without appropriate trial infringes the aspect of human rights. This affects the wellbeing of the persons in question and declining their quality of live (Sen 2005, p.153). Capability on the contrary reflects the opportunity to realize valuable blends pertaining to the functioning of human beings. Capability entails what an individual is competent of doing and thus contributing to the understanding of the aspects of human rights and freedom. In essence, capability elucidates the concept of opportunity where elaborate consideration is necessary. A practical instance relates to where an individual can distinguish from whether the things valued can remain accomplished and if means to pursue such values are in place. Capability approach therefore avoids over concentration on the available means such as primary goods and income. The capability aspect therefore allows parametric variability relating to the means and actual opportunities. Capability differences may arise as a result of physical psychological heterogeneities in people in relation to disability and illness, varied personal resources, environmental diversities and varied relative positions (Sen 2005, p.154). Balanced life is viewable as desirable. Life balance can remain looked at from two main perspectives as the use of objectively reasonable time through varied life domains, and decreased subjective discrepancy in actual and real life-use outlines. Unbalanced life reflects endemic in the Western cultures where modern people are engaged at work for longer hours making the integration of work and life a nightmare. The phenomenon is evident especially in couples that engine in dual-career. It is a situation where there is less allocation of time for domains like family while over allocating it to work. The circumstance creates conflict and stress producing negative consequences in wellbeing and health (Sheldon, Cummins, and Kamble, 2010, p.1093). It is so unfortunate noting that, extant research of life-balance compromised by inadequacy in measurement and conceptual discrimination. Life balance defines using its conflicting, imbalance. In this case, imbalance is refers to lifestyle that is stressful with too much work and minimal sociality. The situation brings about the notion of straining hence interrupted wellbeing. Conceptual approach to quality of life The concept regarding the quality of life is related to happiness, a subject that has been in consideration since the millennia past. The post-industrial communities noted that it was not sufficient to have access to goods, but rather essential for the citizens to live a positive way in everyday life. Being satisfied in life is crucial, failure to which, negative mental situation of the dissatisfied cause deterioration in their health. The overall state of the illness will impose a heavy burden on the state, household, and the local government budget. It is worth noting that, when the physical health of an individual is examinable, leisure time considered in determining whether the person affected is neglecting the everyday activities and a way of life. Suggestions remains put across that, medical tourism contribute directly to increased mental and physical fitness (Michalko and Ratz, 2010, p.35). For example, regular check-ups of the of the tourists to determine their state of health establishes a base for the introduction of healthcare facilities, the welfare facilities in turn contributes to the economic growth of a country in which the activity is taking place. Travel boosts happiness and enhances the respective quality of life of individuals. There has been increased interest of research in relation to international tourism considering the relationship between wellbeing, quality of life, and happiness. It is suggestible that, involvement of an individual in tourism improves the quality of life. It is also arguable that, by travelling, an individuals wants remains satisfied through the consumption of the tourist destination sites. Fundamentally, even the transit of oneself prompts a realization of happiness by initiating in improvement on one’s quality of life. Additionally, on the destination sites, the quality of life of the inhabitants increases due to the impact of the tourists that visit the areas (Michalko and Ratz, 2010, p.37). It is shown that, those who enjoy the socio-cultural and economic benefits of tourism acknowledge the positive effects of tourism and increase their happiness and eventually an increased quality of life. In contrast, those who do not enjoy the tourism experiences, experiences continued dissatisfaction leading to worsened perceptions of the quality of life. In regard to the components of the quality of life, objective and subjective wellbeing are given a critical consideration.Objective wellbeing is based on the quantitative and measurable factors, subjective wellbeing on the other hand is based on the personal expectations and requirements. When these situations are satisfied, the person can remain considered happy. The efficiency and the quality of life regarded as the most common factors that affect the functioning of an organization. Due to the growing complications of the human communities and the diversified job market, the working life quality is of crucial importance. Individuals exert more much supervision and work life interference without spawns associations. For example, in an organization that employees have attention and participate in the decision-making process, the results of the organization will be more. Indeed, the special attention provided to quality of working life is attributable as a basic aspect (Mehdipour, Boushehri, Saemi, and Rayegan, 2012, p.185). Culture reflects pervasive effects on the quality of life. There exist great differences across the societies and in the factors that are relevant to satisfaction of life, perhaps culture has pervasive impact on the people’s goals and values.In China for example, happiness is rooted in Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. In this case, the family is the happiness and quality of life is derivable by preserving and expanding the vitality and prosperity an individual’s family. Happiness accompanies quality of life and seen as an ultimate goal to work and accumulate more resource material. Ideally, it is perceived that through intellectual work and excelling in exams serve to obtain respect in social status and ultimately fulfilling one’s duties in life (Spiers and Walker, 2009, p.86). Among the Chinese elderly individuals, it was notable that environmental-person interaction, old Chinese beliefs and values, and the tough family ties influence the perceptions of the quality of life. Spiers and Walker (2009, p.85) found out that life quality illustrates the same as ideology as satisfaction in life, good life, and happiness. Socially, generations elaborate a genealogical kinship that has remained adopted to explain largely the social trends that influence individuals’ excellence of life. A generation limits its members from exploring the available opportunities and experiences within a given range. It is seen to provide the members with collective memories that design the future behaviors and attitudes. The situation serves to restrict the individuals within a range of expressions affecting one’s life either negatively or positively in relation to quality of life. Even though the people that live in a certain history experience the same events about history, they greatly differ in response to their stage of the life cycle. This in turn affects the quality of life of an individual existing at a particular place at any given time. When historical, economic, and social shifts occur, a new generation emerges where new organizational patterns, skill, lifestyles, and values are observed. Further, the new experience observed bring with it a change in adaptation which in turn the routines of an individual (Lyons and Kuron, 2013, p.140, 141). For example, a person who is incapable of adapting to the emergence of new generations suffers the risk of exclusion that lowers the quality of one’s life. The Contribution of the Conceptual Approaches of Wellbeing and Quality Of Life towards Sustainable Livelihoods The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework Community-based social work in the context of the quality of life and wellbeing considered as a paradigm shift. It is a participatory approach where the community members take part in projects that in turn affect the wellbeing and quality of their lives. The approach is built on the common theory of property that claims that, pooled resources can remain effectively utilized sustainably to increase the livelihoods of the members. The community is recognizable as autonomous with proprietorship and tenurial rights to make decisions based on their needs to affect their wellbeing and quality of life. The natural resources are decentralized giving the ordinary citizens a chance to contribute to their livelihoods, as participation is enhanced, sustainability of livelihoods is at its best (Mbaiwa and Stronza, 2010, p.636).Centralization of the natural denies the citizens the opportunity to maximize their utilization leading a compromised situation within the communities. The sustainable livelihoods framework is central to poverty alleviation, environmental management, and rural development. The livelihood comprise of the capabilities, and the activities needed for a means of survival.Through the formation of localized institutions, the local people can access the resources that are either within or outside their communities leading to enhanced livelihoods. Tourism and sustainable livelihood framework Sustainable livelihoods pose an innovative perspective to achieve wider development via tourism. The concept of sustainable livelihoods becomes sustainable when the people cope with as well as recover from, shocks, stresses, and become able to enhance their capabilities and benefit from the future opportunities. The approach recognizes life as a multi-sectoral dimension and stresses on the importance of bringing together all the features of economic, political, and social forming a holistic framework. The inhabitants of the communities in which the framework is implementable have the opportunity to develop without compromising the state of the environment. The local people develop a set of events that aids them in changing their livelihoods for the better (Kokkranikal and Morrison, 2011, p. 139). Coupled with entrepreneurial innovations and development in tourism, the organizational, environmental, as well as individual dimensions develop networks that aid the material flow from the versed regions to those with insufficient resources. In addition, the people can benefit from their networks and hence a boost in livelihoods. Conclusion It is pertinent to note that happiness, freedom, a balanced life, capability, human rights, leisure, culture, and generation influences the wellbeing and quality of life of individuals. The sustainable livelihood framework denotes the natural, human, financial, and social capital as profound inputs to the improvement of livelihoods. Ability of local people to form community-based institutions allow for effective use of the decentralized resources hence improving the living standards. Through the formation of networks, people can share ideas by pooling together the available resources increasing their strength to fight against the social, economic, and political vices. The situation helps to reduce vulnerability of the people to such vices increasing their livelihoods. Bibliography Gamble, D. N. 2012. Well-being in a globalized world: Does social work know how to make it happen? Journal of Social Work Education, 48(4): University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. p. 669,671,172. Kokkranikal, J., and Morrison, A. 2011. Community Networks and Sustainable Livelihoods in Tourism: The Role of Entrepreneurial Innovation. Tourism Planning & Development, 8(2). UK: London. p.139. Lyons, S., and Kuron, L. 2013. Generational differences in the workplace: A review of the evidence and directions for future research. Journal of Organization Behavior 35. Mbaiwa, J. E., and Stronza, A. L. 2010. 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