Wellbeing and Institutions

Abstract

The main objective of this chapter is to explore empirically the relationship between wellbeing and institutions. This first section explores the concepts employed, the Peru context, and the methodology used. Section 6.2 builds on chapter 3 by developing an analysis of the relationship between life goals and institutions. Section 6.3 continues this analysis by identifying institutions in each research site behind provision of resources that respondents perceived to be most important to their wellbeing. Section 6.4 then focuses more narrowly on wellbeing and the institution of the faena, this being the word used in Peru for the people working collectively for a specific community purpose. Section 6.5 concludes, illustrating important points with reference to the life history of one particular respondent.

This chapter is an abbreviated and revised version of the thesis produced by Alvarez for his masters in Research (international development) at the University of Bath. James Copestake assisted mainly with editing.