Conclusions and Implications for Development Policy and Practice

Abstract

The opening chapter of this book suggested that international development policies often fail to connect or resonate sufficiently with the ideas and experiences of those intended to benefit from them. It hinted that part of the problem was political and bureaucratic pressure to come up with policies based on a universal (often Western) view of development, and expressed the fear that this quest for consistency undermines responsiveness to diverse local perspectives and priorities. It then suggested that the very openness of the concept of wellbeing might be helpful in the task of analyzing such gaps and identifying how far they can be reconciled. And it suggested that this issue should be addressed not only through academic debate and international policy dialogue but also through rigorous empirical research into the understanding and experiences of wellbeing of ordinary people in specific times and places. The choice of Peru for such research was defended on the grounds of wide economic disparities, cultural diversity, and some evidence that many Peruvians experience comparatively low subjective wellbeing. Section 8.2 presents an overview of some of the key findings of subsequent chapters, and section 8.3 explores further their relevance for international development policy. Chapter 9 then points toward new directions for scientific research into subjective wellbeing.