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Children and the Good Life pp 91–101Cite as

Subjective Well-Being and Capabilities: Views on the Well-Being of Young Persons

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Part of the book series: Children¿s Well-Being: Indicators and Research ((CHIR,volume 4))

Abstract

This chapter discusses different approaches to evaluate the life situation of young persons. It argues that inequalities are important when they impact on life conduct, relationships and the practices that people value. Thus the notion of well-being provides a core dimension in assessing the life situation. The paper juxtaposes two approaches to well-being: a hedonic view on subjective well-being and a eudemonic view focusing on the genuine opportunities of persons to secure valuable functioning. Discussing the potentials and pitfalls of these two approaches, the chapter argues in favour of a eudemonic conception of well-being based on Martha Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Relations to parents is an outcome of mean component analyses with the items “I have great respect for my parents,” “My parents respect my opinion,” “I enjoy spending time with my parents,” “Whenever I have problems, I can turn to my parents,” “My parents are great” and, reverse coded, “I have trouble with my parents”. Factor loadings are high (between 0.702 and 0.826), and the factor captures 54% of the variance and has an internal consistency of α = 0.84.

  2. 2.

    This concern has strong similarities with the notion of Bildung, a key concept in continental European (and, in particular, German-speaking) traditions of educational theory. If we eclipse the fact that the notion of Bildung also legitimised the ideals of an elitist educational ideology of the bourgeoisie, Bildung implies a practice that transcends a mere acquisition of knowledge (cf. Bleicher, 2006). Josef Bleicher has figured out that “Bildung points to a way of integrating knowledge and expertise with moral and aesthetic concerns. On the basis of a successful integration of thinking, willing and feeling, it enables sound judgement, indicated by a developed awareness of what is appropriate… It entails openness to difference and a willingness to self-correct. Bildung, in the classic sense, thus also contains a projective anticipation of the ‘good life’, of human freedom enacted with responsibility for self and others in the open-ended project of self-creation” (Bleicher, 2006, p. 365).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Educational Science, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany

    Holger Ziegler

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  1. Holger Ziegler
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fak. Erziehungswissenschaft, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

    Sabine Andresen

  2. Fak. Erziehungswissenschaft, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

    Isabell Diehm

  3. Fak. Erziehungswissenschaft, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

    Uwe Sander

  4. Fak. Erziehungswissenschaft, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

    Holger Ziegler

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Ziegler, H. (2011). Subjective Well-Being and Capabilities: Views on the Well-Being of Young Persons. In: Andresen, S., Diehm, I., Sander, U., Ziegler, H. (eds) Children and the Good Life. Children¿s Well-Being: Indicators and Research, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9219-9_7

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