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Measuring Well-Being from Local Perspective: The Case of Lao PDR

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Abstract

Well-being is a contentious concept, and related measurements are socially and culturally sensitive. This paper examines the concept of well-being from the perspective of Lao people. The conceptual framework of the study is based on a framework well-being is comprised of three modes; “having”, “thinking” and “doing”. The researcher engaged 15 key informants were in-depth interviewed and 35 representatives of households in focus group discussions to ascertain well-being indicators. It is argued that the Lao concept of well-being is entrapped in a dichotomous concept of subjective and objective well-being. This study proposes that well-being indicators of Lao PDR are comprised of 5 components, and 39 indicators; including family well-being (4 indicators), community unity well-being (9 indicators), health well-being (7 indicators), forest and environment well-being (9 indicators), and having enough for sustaining living well-being (10 indicators).

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Notes

  1. See Human Needs (Doyal and Gough 1991); the Millennium Development Goals—MDGs (UN 2013); Human Development Index—HDI (UNDP 2014).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facilities Trade, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Vientiane, Lao PDR

    Thantavanh Manolom

  2. Research Group on Well-Being and Sustainable Development (WeSD), Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, HS 03 Building, 5th Floor, 123 Mitraparp Rd., Muang City (Amphur Muang), Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand

    Thantavanh Manolom & Buapun Promphakping

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  1. Thantavanh Manolom
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  2. Buapun Promphakping
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Correspondence to Thantavanh Manolom.

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This paper is a part of the study entitled, “The Measurement of Development and Human Well-being in the Lao PDR”, Ph.D. Development science Program, Research Group on Well-being and Sustainable Development (WeSD), Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.

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Manolom, T., Promphakping, B. Measuring Well-Being from Local Perspective: The Case of Lao PDR. Soc Indic Res 123, 391–409 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-014-0743-2

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