Adaptation, Poverty and Subjective Well-Being: Evidence from South India

Abstract

It has been argued that the so-called adaptation problem poses a serious challenge by undermining the reliability of subjective well-being (SWB) measures. Qizilbash (2006) contends that the adaptation problem occurs when people’s desires and attitudes adapt to the deprived circumstances in which they live. It is often presumed that adaptation to poverty is a widespread phenomenon, which suggests that measures based on people’s subjective perceptions, such as SWB, are unreliable proxies for well-being (e.g. Crocker, 1992; Nussbaum, 1995, 2000, 2006; Sen, 1990, 1992, 1999). Indeed, the value of SWB as an indicator of human well-being would have to be questioned if the adaptation problem systematically affects subjective reports of satisfaction.¹ The aim of this study is to explore whether and to what extent people adapt (i.e. report to be satisfied despite living in poverty) and how people adapt to their deprived living conditions (i.e. what kind or form of adaptation takes place). A defining feature of this chapter is the inclusion of case studies based on survey data from two villages which integrate quantitative and qualitative information to enhance our understanding of adaptation processes.