K. V. FOFANOVA. METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES OF MEASURING QUALITY OF LIFE IN A REGION

K. V. FOFANOVA.

METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES OF MEASURING QUALITY OF LIFE IN A REGION

Key words: quality of life, region, happiness, life satisfaction, measurement

Abstract. The paper deals with methodological issues of measuring the quality of life in a region. The main approaches to the definition of the notion of "quality of life" were considered; the methods of objective and subjective measurements of quality of life were examined. The management possibilities of rating the quality of life of regions were assessed; the necessity of including subjective indicators into the measurement model of quality of life was substantiated.

Synopsis. Introduction: quality of life is one of the mechanisms of social administration and identification of needs for change in the socio-economic system of a region. The paper discusses the possibility of changing the methodology of measuring the quality of life in the regions, in particular, it indicates the need for comparative analysis and for inclusion of subjective indicators into the set of measuring tools.

Materials and Methods: the secondary analysis of data was the basis for writing this paper. The study used international and regional models and methods of measuring quality of life, as well as the data of rating agency RIA Rating.

Results: analysis of the existing methods allowed to evaluate the procedure of rating the regions, to identify methodological problems of the questionnaire instruments traditionally used in the study of subjective indicators of quality of life in a region.

Discussion and Conclusions: the paper reveals the methodological difficulties in measuring level of satisfaction with quality of life. The existing methods of measuring quality of life significantly differ from each other and there are no universally accepted criteria for assessment of subjective indicators allowing to compare regions in this context. The importance of creating a unified system of interregional studies of the subjective component of quality of life is emphasized.

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¹³ Ibid.

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¹⁵ Ibid.

¹⁶ Ibid.

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¹⁹ See reference number 17 in the list of References.

²⁰ See reference number 6 in the list of References.

²¹ See reference number 17 in the list of References.

FOFANOVA Katerina Vladislavovna, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, Professor at the Department of Sociology, National Research Mordovia State University (Saransk, Russian Federation), e-mail: kateri02@yandex.ru.