Current recession
and austerity measures that were implemented in most Western countries as a
result of it challenged the view that the standards of living dominating in the
past decades can be sustained in an unchanged form. What followed was the rise
of the popularity of well-being measures that aimed to evaluate life satisfaction of people in societies that were already being
transformed by the economic crisis and its repercussions, in order to define
happy life and what matters to it. Despite the topic being eagerly embraced by
different academic disciplines, it remains largely under-theorised within the
sociology field that as a discipline with deep historical roots and strong
focus on inequalities, the role of gender, agency and structure can contribute
to the debate and provide unique and original perspective on the society after
the crisis and its transformation.
Is well-being the most appropriate measure of the state of post-crisis societies in the West? Can different tools that assess it provide useful and meaningful information about societal prosperity which can be used by the policy makers? What can sociology add to the discussion about appropriate indicators of human flourishing in modern times? These questions require thorough evaluation of the state of society which can be enriched by the research findings from quantitative and qualitative studies that complement each other in order to provide full picture of the society today. Furthermore, both theoretical and empirical perspectives can contribute to the broadening of the concept of well-being in relation to the post-crisis society. As such, the participants of the event will be looking to assess the relevance and usefulness of well-being indicator as a measure of the progress of society in modern times and will seek to answer the question: in what other terms should we evaluate our societies if well-being is not enough?
The conference will bring together postgraduate researchers engaged in the area of research related to well-being measurements, PhDs who look in their work for broader definitions of societal progress and thriving, and those who evaluate the consequences of current crisis on modern society. The event will give them the opportunity to engage in scholarly debate and exchange views and ideas within the sociological framework that will enrich and broaden their sociological perspectives on societal well-being.
Is well-being the most appropriate measure of the state of post-crisis societies in the West? Can different tools that assess it provide useful and meaningful information about societal prosperity which can be used by the policy makers? What can sociology add to the discussion about appropriate indicators of human flourishing in modern times? These questions require thorough evaluation of the state of society which can be enriched by the research findings from quantitative and qualitative studies that complement each other in order to provide full picture of the society today. Furthermore, both theoretical and empirical perspectives can contribute to the broadening of the concept of well-being in relation to the post-crisis society. As such, the participants of the event will be looking to assess the relevance and usefulness of well-being indicator as a measure of the progress of society in modern times and will seek to answer the question: in what other terms should we evaluate our societies if well-being is not enough?
The conference will bring together postgraduate researchers engaged in the area of research related to well-being measurements, PhDs who look in their work for broader definitions of societal progress and thriving, and those who evaluate the consequences of current crisis on modern society. The event will give them the opportunity to engage in scholarly debate and exchange views and ideas within the sociological framework that will enrich and broaden their sociological perspectives on societal well-being.