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Distinguishing Indicators of Well-Being from Indicators of Ill-Being

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Alleviating World Suffering

Part of the book series: Social Indicators Research Series ((SINS,volume 67))

Abstract

The goal of this chapter is to make a clear distinction of indicators of well-being from indicators of ill-being at several levels of analyses, namely the individual level, the community level, and the societal level. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is used as a theoretical backdrop to help make these distinctions. That is, indicators of ill-being reflect satisfaction (or lack of satisfaction) of basic needs (survival-related needs such as biological and safety-related needs), whereas indicators of well-being reflect satisfaction (or lack thereof) of growth needs (social, esteem, self-actualization, intellectual, and aesthetic-related needs). Well-being versus ill-being indicators are identified and clearly distinguished from one another, not only at different levels of analyses (individual, community, and societal) but also between outcome and action indicators. Outcome indicators reflect the desired end state, whereas action indicators reflect indicators of programs and policies designed to influence the outcome states. Such distinctions are important for policy-making.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    I make multiple references to “societal-level analysis” throughout the chapter. Societal in this context means country or state. To be distinguished from individual and community-level analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Tech Real Estate Professor of Marketing, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    M. Joseph Sirgy

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  1. M. Joseph Sirgy
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Correspondence to M. Joseph Sirgy .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sociology, Department of Sociology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Ronald E. Anderson

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Sirgy, M.J. (2017). Distinguishing Indicators of Well-Being from Indicators of Ill-Being. In: Anderson, R. (eds) Alleviating World Suffering. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 67. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51391-1_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51391-1_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-51390-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-51391-1

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