The National Wellbeing Index in the isiXhosa translation: focus group discussions on how South Africans view the quality of their society
- Moller, Valerie, Roberts, Benjamin J, Zani, Dalindyebo
- Authors: Moller, Valerie , Roberts, Benjamin J , Zani, Dalindyebo
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67135 , vital:29035 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-016-1481-4
- Description: publisher version , The International Wellbeing Index covers two complementary measures, the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) and the National Wellbeing Index (NWI). The focus group study reported here tested the understanding of the NWI when translated into isiXhosa, a language spoken by 6 million South Africans, or 16% of the country’s population. A challenge for the NWI in measuring national well-being is the tendency for meaning to get ‘lost in translation’ in the wording of the instrument, owing to the disparities that exist between levels of living in developed and developing nations. The focussed discussions with native isiXhosa speakers conveyed the different shades of meaning associated with the six domains that make up the NWI. The isiXhosa keywords for the domains of social conditions, the natural environment, national security, and management of the country’s affairs (government) were readily understood, but discussants asked for further clarification of keywords for the domains relating to the economy and business. Conversations showed up the close link between personal and national well-being: discussants drew upon their personal and parochial life experiences along with their knowledge of current affairs to evaluate the nation’s quality of life. They described the social contract between citizens and their government to create a ‘caring society’ that promotes well-being across key domains of national life. Many of the reference standards used to evaluate national well-being were ones postulated to influence personal well-being (Michalos A.C, Social Indicators Research 16(4): 347–413 1985 ). The study also pointed to a potential problem for longitudinal studies if the bipolar satisfaction scale, formerly used to measure the International Wellbeing Index’s PWI and NWI, is changed to a unipolar one. Findings from this pilot study confirm the potential of the NWI as a tool for measuring national well-being cross-culturally.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Moller, Valerie , Roberts, Benjamin J , Zani, Dalindyebo
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67135 , vital:29035 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-016-1481-4
- Description: publisher version , The International Wellbeing Index covers two complementary measures, the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) and the National Wellbeing Index (NWI). The focus group study reported here tested the understanding of the NWI when translated into isiXhosa, a language spoken by 6 million South Africans, or 16% of the country’s population. A challenge for the NWI in measuring national well-being is the tendency for meaning to get ‘lost in translation’ in the wording of the instrument, owing to the disparities that exist between levels of living in developed and developing nations. The focussed discussions with native isiXhosa speakers conveyed the different shades of meaning associated with the six domains that make up the NWI. The isiXhosa keywords for the domains of social conditions, the natural environment, national security, and management of the country’s affairs (government) were readily understood, but discussants asked for further clarification of keywords for the domains relating to the economy and business. Conversations showed up the close link between personal and national well-being: discussants drew upon their personal and parochial life experiences along with their knowledge of current affairs to evaluate the nation’s quality of life. They described the social contract between citizens and their government to create a ‘caring society’ that promotes well-being across key domains of national life. Many of the reference standards used to evaluate national well-being were ones postulated to influence personal well-being (Michalos A.C, Social Indicators Research 16(4): 347–413 1985 ). The study also pointed to a potential problem for longitudinal studies if the bipolar satisfaction scale, formerly used to measure the International Wellbeing Index’s PWI and NWI, is changed to a unipolar one. Findings from this pilot study confirm the potential of the NWI as a tool for measuring national well-being cross-culturally.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2018
New Beginnings in an Ancient Region: well-being in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Moller, Valerie, Roberts, Benjamin J
- Authors: Moller, Valerie , Roberts, Benjamin J
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: book chapter , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61701 , vital:28050 , https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-39101-4_7
- Description: In this chapter, we trace the well-being of people living in the sub-Saharan region of Africa over time, focusing on what are universally considered to be main ingredients of the good life in modern times: health, education, and the income and resources needed to meet basic needs and to prosper. The people of sub-Saharan Africa do not have a common identity, but we have isolated some of the experiences and commonalities that bind the people of the region. The glory of earlier civilizations and of traditional religious beliefs and rituals that cemented the social order and the disruption of African society by foreign incursions during the period of discovery and the Atlantic slave trade and colonialism all had their impact on the African imagination. Well-being in Africa south of the Sahara suffered when people living in Africa were oppressed and exploited between the fifteenth and early twentieth centuries. The winds of change in the 1960s brought freedom and a new sense of dignity. Since independence, there are signs of improvements in key domains of life, but the modern states of sub-Saharan Africa are still addressing the many political and development challenges they face. Optimism and resilience are characteristic of the people living south of the Sahara who have faith that their dreams of a better life will come true.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Moller, Valerie , Roberts, Benjamin J
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: book chapter , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61701 , vital:28050 , https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-39101-4_7
- Description: In this chapter, we trace the well-being of people living in the sub-Saharan region of Africa over time, focusing on what are universally considered to be main ingredients of the good life in modern times: health, education, and the income and resources needed to meet basic needs and to prosper. The people of sub-Saharan Africa do not have a common identity, but we have isolated some of the experiences and commonalities that bind the people of the region. The glory of earlier civilizations and of traditional religious beliefs and rituals that cemented the social order and the disruption of African society by foreign incursions during the period of discovery and the Atlantic slave trade and colonialism all had their impact on the African imagination. Well-being in Africa south of the Sahara suffered when people living in Africa were oppressed and exploited between the fifteenth and early twentieth centuries. The winds of change in the 1960s brought freedom and a new sense of dignity. Since independence, there are signs of improvements in key domains of life, but the modern states of sub-Saharan Africa are still addressing the many political and development challenges they face. Optimism and resilience are characteristic of the people living south of the Sahara who have faith that their dreams of a better life will come true.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2017
Waiting for happiness in Africa
- Moller, Valerie, Roberts, Benjamin J, Tiliouine, Habib, Loschky, Jay
- Authors: Moller, Valerie , Roberts, Benjamin J , Tiliouine, Habib , Loschky, Jay
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67225 , vital:29061 , https://s3.amazonaws.com/sdsn-whr2017/HR17-Ch4_lr.pdf
- Description: publisher version , From Introduction: Are the people in Africa really among the least happy in the world? And if African countries do have a ‘happiness deficit’, what are the prospects of Africa achieving happiness in the near future? These are questions we shall try to address in this chapter. The World Happiness Report (WHR), published since 2012, has found that happiness is less evident in Africa than in other regions of the world. It reports Gallup World Poll (GWP) ratings of happiness, measured on the ‘ladder of life’, a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 indicating greatest happiness. On the map of the Geography of Happiness, published in an earlier World Happiness Report Update 2015, the happiest countries in the world are shaded green, the unhappiest red. Africa stands out as the unhappiest continent, being coloured almost entirely in shades of glaring red (See Fig. 4.1). In 2017, the WHR reports that average ladder scores for over four in five African countries are below the mid-point of the scale (see Fig. 4.2). And only two African countries have made significant gains in happiness over the past decade . There are also considerable inequalities in life evaluations in African countries, and this inequality in happiness has increased over the past years . In this chapter, we shall tentatively seek a number of explanations for the unhappiness on the African continent, which is home to about 16% of the world’s population. It will be no easy task to identify factors that may have shaped perceptions of well-being among the 1.2 billion African people who live in 54 nation states with different historical, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. Nonetheless, we shall attempt to describe some of the positive and negative experiences in the lives of people in African countries that likely impact on personal well-being. We shall also try to identify the prospects for change and development that could spell hope for increasing the happiness of African people in future.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Moller, Valerie , Roberts, Benjamin J , Tiliouine, Habib , Loschky, Jay
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67225 , vital:29061 , https://s3.amazonaws.com/sdsn-whr2017/HR17-Ch4_lr.pdf
- Description: publisher version , From Introduction: Are the people in Africa really among the least happy in the world? And if African countries do have a ‘happiness deficit’, what are the prospects of Africa achieving happiness in the near future? These are questions we shall try to address in this chapter. The World Happiness Report (WHR), published since 2012, has found that happiness is less evident in Africa than in other regions of the world. It reports Gallup World Poll (GWP) ratings of happiness, measured on the ‘ladder of life’, a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 indicating greatest happiness. On the map of the Geography of Happiness, published in an earlier World Happiness Report Update 2015, the happiest countries in the world are shaded green, the unhappiest red. Africa stands out as the unhappiest continent, being coloured almost entirely in shades of glaring red (See Fig. 4.1). In 2017, the WHR reports that average ladder scores for over four in five African countries are below the mid-point of the scale (see Fig. 4.2). And only two African countries have made significant gains in happiness over the past decade . There are also considerable inequalities in life evaluations in African countries, and this inequality in happiness has increased over the past years . In this chapter, we shall tentatively seek a number of explanations for the unhappiness on the African continent, which is home to about 16% of the world’s population. It will be no easy task to identify factors that may have shaped perceptions of well-being among the 1.2 billion African people who live in 54 nation states with different historical, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. Nonetheless, we shall attempt to describe some of the positive and negative experiences in the lives of people in African countries that likely impact on personal well-being. We shall also try to identify the prospects for change and development that could spell hope for increasing the happiness of African people in future.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2017
Shadow of the Sun – the distribution of wellbeing in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Roberts, Benjamin J, Gordon, Steven Lawrence, Moller, Valerie, Struwig, Jare
- Authors: Roberts, Benjamin J , Gordon, Steven Lawrence , Moller, Valerie , Struwig, Jare
- Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67235 , vital:29062 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9178-6_23
- Description: publisher version , Despite the enthusiasm that prevailed during sub-Saharan Africa’s initial wave of independence, representations of quality of life in the region over the last half-century focused on themes that typically characterize failed states: maladministration, violence and conflict, disease, impoverishment and suffering. Although considerable hardship persists, the subcontinent experienced impressive economic growth over the last decade. This, together with increasing gains from state-led social spending, has prompted a new narrative that speaks of promise and opportunity. Against this backdrop, the chapter reviews quality of life in the region using select objective and subjective wellbeing measures. The results confirm the general pattern of recent social progress, though lingering deprivation, inequality and often difficult political conditions. While this situation is reflected in relatively low life satisfaction evaluations, it is also accompanied by a resolute optimism that attests to the resilience of the region’s citizens in the face of adversity. The chapter also assesses the influence of certain objective conditions on subjective wellbeing at the macro-level.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Roberts, Benjamin J , Gordon, Steven Lawrence , Moller, Valerie , Struwig, Jare
- Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67235 , vital:29062 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9178-6_23
- Description: publisher version , Despite the enthusiasm that prevailed during sub-Saharan Africa’s initial wave of independence, representations of quality of life in the region over the last half-century focused on themes that typically characterize failed states: maladministration, violence and conflict, disease, impoverishment and suffering. Although considerable hardship persists, the subcontinent experienced impressive economic growth over the last decade. This, together with increasing gains from state-led social spending, has prompted a new narrative that speaks of promise and opportunity. Against this backdrop, the chapter reviews quality of life in the region using select objective and subjective wellbeing measures. The results confirm the general pattern of recent social progress, though lingering deprivation, inequality and often difficult political conditions. While this situation is reflected in relatively low life satisfaction evaluations, it is also accompanied by a resolute optimism that attests to the resilience of the region’s citizens in the face of adversity. The chapter also assesses the influence of certain objective conditions on subjective wellbeing at the macro-level.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
The Personal Wellbeing Index in the South African isiXhosa translation: a qualitative focus group study
- Moller, Valerie, Roberts, Benjamin J, Zani, Dalindyebo
- Authors: Moller, Valerie , Roberts, Benjamin J , Zani, Dalindyebo
- Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67125 , vital:29034 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-014-0820-6
- Description: publisher version , International scholars who rely on the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) to compare cross-cultural quality of life have often been confronted with the problems of nuances getting ‘lost in translation’. This qualitative study explored the meaning of the isiXhosa version of the PWI in focus group discussions with native speakers. Participants in the study discussed how they understood and rated their lives on each item in the index. The discourse conveyed the different shades of meaning associated with the PWI items of life satisfaction and eight domains of life. The study found that PWI items related to material well-being, living standards, achievements in life and future (financial) security were best understood. The PWI items referring to personal relationships and community connectedness were seen as nearly identical in meaning. Both translation and cultural factors may be responsible for the conflation of these two items. Noteworthy is that the PWI item on religion and spirituality was seen to embrace both Christian and traditional African beliefs and practice, without prejudice. A new item on daily activities was piloted with good results. The focus group study also showcased the manner in which discussants worked with the rating scale and drew on social comparisons when evaluating global and domain satisfactions. It is concluded that cognitive testing of PWI items in different translations will serve not only to appraise the validity of PWI ratings across cultures, but importantly also opens a window on what makes for a life of quality in a particular social setting.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Moller, Valerie , Roberts, Benjamin J , Zani, Dalindyebo
- Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67125 , vital:29034 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-014-0820-6
- Description: publisher version , International scholars who rely on the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) to compare cross-cultural quality of life have often been confronted with the problems of nuances getting ‘lost in translation’. This qualitative study explored the meaning of the isiXhosa version of the PWI in focus group discussions with native speakers. Participants in the study discussed how they understood and rated their lives on each item in the index. The discourse conveyed the different shades of meaning associated with the PWI items of life satisfaction and eight domains of life. The study found that PWI items related to material well-being, living standards, achievements in life and future (financial) security were best understood. The PWI items referring to personal relationships and community connectedness were seen as nearly identical in meaning. Both translation and cultural factors may be responsible for the conflation of these two items. Noteworthy is that the PWI item on religion and spirituality was seen to embrace both Christian and traditional African beliefs and practice, without prejudice. A new item on daily activities was piloted with good results. The focus group study also showcased the manner in which discussants worked with the rating scale and drew on social comparisons when evaluating global and domain satisfactions. It is concluded that cognitive testing of PWI items in different translations will serve not only to appraise the validity of PWI ratings across cultures, but importantly also opens a window on what makes for a life of quality in a particular social setting.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
South Africa, quality of life
- Moller, Valerie, Roberts, Benjamin J
- Authors: Moller, Valerie , Roberts, Benjamin J
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67255 , vital:29064 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5
- Description: publisher version , The aim of this encyclopedia is to provide a comprehensive reference work on scientific and other scholarly research on the quality of life, including health-related quality of life research or also called patient-reported outcomes research. Since the 1960s two overlapping but fairly distinct research communities and traditions have developed concerning ideas about the quality of life, individually and collectively, one with a fairly narrow focus on health-related issues and one with a quite broad focus. In many ways, the central issues of these fields have roots extending to the observations and speculations of ancient philosophers, creating a continuous exploration by diverse explorers in diverse historic and cultural circumstances over several centuries of the qualities of human existence. What we have not had so far is a single, multidimensional reference work connecting the most salient and important contributions to the relevant fields. Entries are organized alphabetically and cover basic concepts, relatively well established facts, lawlike and causal relations, theories, methods, standardized tests, biographic entries on significant figures, organizational profiles, indicators and indexes of qualities of individuals and of communities of diverse sizes, including rural areas, towns, cities, counties, provinces, states, regions, countries and groups of countries.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Moller, Valerie , Roberts, Benjamin J
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67255 , vital:29064 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5
- Description: publisher version , The aim of this encyclopedia is to provide a comprehensive reference work on scientific and other scholarly research on the quality of life, including health-related quality of life research or also called patient-reported outcomes research. Since the 1960s two overlapping but fairly distinct research communities and traditions have developed concerning ideas about the quality of life, individually and collectively, one with a fairly narrow focus on health-related issues and one with a quite broad focus. In many ways, the central issues of these fields have roots extending to the observations and speculations of ancient philosophers, creating a continuous exploration by diverse explorers in diverse historic and cultural circumstances over several centuries of the qualities of human existence. What we have not had so far is a single, multidimensional reference work connecting the most salient and important contributions to the relevant fields. Entries are organized alphabetically and cover basic concepts, relatively well established facts, lawlike and causal relations, theories, methods, standardized tests, biographic entries on significant figures, organizational profiles, indicators and indexes of qualities of individuals and of communities of diverse sizes, including rural areas, towns, cities, counties, provinces, states, regions, countries and groups of countries.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2014
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