Ruut Veenhoven
Published in: Mark McGillivray Ed. Human Well-being, Concept and Measurement, Palgrave Macmillan, Series ‘Studies in Development Economics and Policy, ISBN 0-230-00498-9, 2007,.Houndsmill, UK, chapter 9, pp. 214-239
ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with three question: 1) What are ‘subjective’
measure? 2) What is ‘wellbeing’? and 3) Are subjective measures of wellbeing of
use for policymaking, in particular in developing nations?
The first question is
answered by making a distinction between two kinds of ‘subjectivity’: subjective
substance and subjective assessment. On that basis nine types of indicators are
discerned, varying in degree of subjectivity.The second question is
answered by discerning four kinds of wellbeing. Examples are presented of
indicators for each of these wellbeing variants. It is argued that there is
little sense in combining these variants in one sum-score of overall wellbeing,
since this involves adding apples and oranges. The much-used Human Development
Index is rejected on that ground.
In answer to the third question a case is made for subjective
measures of wellbeing, in particular for using ‘happy life years’ as an
indicator of final policy effectiveness.