Qualit y of lif e Seminars 2012

1. Quality of lifeSeminars 2012 Department of Geography Masaryk University Projekt Inovace výuky geografických studijních oborů CZ 1.07/2.2.00/.15.0222

2. 1st seminar

3. The organization of seminar • One lesson a week • Compulsory attendance: • Missing one lesson without apologise, two with apologise • Active participation in lessons (discussion, workshop) • Giving off homeworks into folder – odevzdavarna before next lesson

4. 1st homework • Writingoftheshortessay on thetopicofqualityoflife • Whatis a definitionofqualityoflife? Whatdoesthequalityoflifemeanforyou? • Preparationofspeech on thenextlesson • Whatisanimportanceofthegeography in theresearchofqualityoflife? What (geographical) aspectsofqualityoflife are youinterested in? What are thekeyquestionsoftheresearchofqualityoflifeforgeographers?

5. 2nd seminar

6. Importanceofgeographyfortheresearch on qualityoflife • What is an importance of the geography in the research on quality of life? • What (geographical) aspects of quality of life are you interested in? • What are the key questions of the research of quality of life for geographers?

7. Importanceofgeographyfortheresearch on qualityoflife • R. Peet: „Geography is the study of relations between society and the natural environment“ • Geography efforts to understand and interpretate relations between people and their environment • Quality of life is multidimensional phenomenon – geography is interdisciplinary science

8. 2nd homework • Imaginethatyou are a person wholivessomewhere in thethirdworld • Makeupyournewname, occupation, nationality, religion, socialposition, marital status, gender… • Thinkaboutyourqualityoflife, whatfactors influence yourqualityoflife (objective x subjectivedimension) • Preparethespeechaboutyouandyourqualityoflife on thenextlesson

9. 3rd seminar

10. Your new identity • Presentation, introduction • What is your name, occupation, nationality, religion, social position, marital status, gender… • What affects your quality of life the most? • Influences of culture, religion, family relations... • Are you happy? Are you satisfied with your life (being)? What is your the meaning of life?

11. Your quality of life • Take advices from each other • Think about how to improve your quality of life • Imagine that you can change everything • Would you be happy? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJgumT70FSY&feature=related

12. 3rd homework • Choose one another person and give him advices how he can improve his quality of life or change his mind to think about life better (from your point of view) • Imagine that everything is possible • Write these advices on a half page (to odevzdavarna)

13. 4th seminar

14. Your quality of life • Perception of your quality of life - what affects your quality of life the most? Your religion, ideology, culture, family, money…? • Is it good to change someone‘s quality of life? Is it moral? • Could we measure collective quality of life?

15. Coreattributesofqualityoflife (individual) • Basic needs and capabilities (food, water, health, housing, environment, security) – avoidance of pain • Autonomy of agency • Subjective well-being (from satisfaction, positive emotions to personal growth, fulfilling of desires) • Flourishing (self-respect, love, deep personal relations) • Social inclusion, integration?

16. Coreattributesofqualityoflife (collective) • Civic integration • Equality, trust, reciprocity and other-regarding behaviour • Social integration, tolerance and respect for difference • Sustainability • Social cohesion

17. 3 cases of bad quality of life • „green widow“ – womanwholives in a suburb, shespends a lot oftimealone, sheisusuallybored, shesuffersfromdepression… • „gipsy man“ – he lives in ghetto, he has a bigfamily, but his brotherowes a lot of money and he wantshim to help, sonow he has problemswith a police (he stole something) • „middle-classwoman“ – sheisabout 50 yearsold, she has boringjob, her childrenworkabroad, sheisdivorcedandnowshedoes not likemen, althoughshe has friends, sheis not satisfied (shegoesshoppingwiththem, butshe has nothing to talkwiththem)

18. 4th homework • Choose a meta-concept of quality of life (model, construct…) and contextualize your quality of life inside this concept (just prepare a speech) • Liveability, health, well-being, environmental quality, happiness, satisfaction… • You can have your identity or you can be someone else • I recommend you to read and inspire with D. Philip‘s publication Quality of life or I. Andráško‘s presentations

19. 5th seminar

20. Homework • Choose a meta-concept of quality of life (model, construct…) and contextualize your quality of life inside this concept (just prepare a speech) • Liveability, health, well-being, environmental quality, happiness, satisfaction… • Is it possible to apply one holistic approach to research on quality of life?

21. Aplication of concepts • Try to findthe most appropriateapproach (concept, model) forresearch on qualityoflife in differentregionsthroughtheworld (generalizethat) • Subjective x objectivedimension • Indicatorsofobjectivedimension • Example – Bhutan – conceptofhappinnessandwell-being – GNH indicator

22. Gross national happiness • Economic Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of economic metrics such as consumer debt, average income to consumer price index ratio and income distribution • Environmental Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of environmental metrics such as pollution, noise and traffic • Physical Wellness: Indicated via statistical measurement of physical health metrics such as severe illnesses • Mental Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of mental health metrics such as usage of antidepressants and rise or decline of psychotherapy patients • Workplace Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of labor metrics such as jobless claims, job change, workplace complaints and lawsuits • Social Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of social metrics such as discrimination, safety, divorce rates, complaints of domestic conflicts and family lawsuits, public lawsuits, crime rates • Political Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of political metrics such as the quality of local democracy, individual freedom, and foreign conflicts.

23. Research on objectivedimensionofqualityoflife • Which domains should be included in research on quality of life? • Are some aspects more important than the others? • Could domains be measured by indicators?

24. 5th homework • Define 10 indicators for the most important aspects of quality of life • Find 10 real indicators which can be measured in SO ORP and which are available on the webpages (czso, mmr, mpsv, chmi…) • Write the definitions and sources and upload it into odevzdavarna

25. 6th seminar

26. Indicatorsandmeasurementsofqualityoflife • Main domains of quality of life: • Economic dimension: financial security, economic freedom, employment, job opportunity… • Material dimension: housing, living condition, liveability… • Environmental dimension: natural environment, pollution, noise… • Physical health: wellness, health care… • Political dimension: democracy, freedom, independency… • Social dimension: social inclusion, security, stability, trust… • Mental health: satisfaction, self-realization, well-being…

27. Indicatorsandmeasurementsofqualityoflife • Aim: to find 10 „ideal“ objective indicators which define and express all these dimensions • Are these indicators really objective? • Can we use them for measuring of quality of life in different regions? • Case study –regions (SO ORP): • Prague‘s quarter • Region with bigger city • Peripheral region

28. 6th homework • Thinkabout these questions: • Which (sub)domains / dimensionsofqualityoflife are not objectivelymeasurable? Whichshouldbeespeciallyincludedintoresearch on subjectivequalityoflife? • Whatisrelationbetweenobjectiveandsubjectiveindicatorsofqualityoflife (according to you)? Whatisrelationbetweenobjectiveandsubjectiveindicatorsofqualityoflife (according to you)? Whichindicators are more importantand more reflective areality? Objectiveorsubjective?

29. 7th seminar

30. Objective x subjective • Which (sub)domains / dimensions of quality of life are not objectively measurable? Which should be especially included into research on subjective quality of life? • What is relation between objective and subjective indicators of quality of life (according to you)? Which indicators are more important and more reflective areality? Objective or subjective?

32. Combinationofquantitativeandqualitativeapproach • Example: questionnaire • Which aspects (domains) of quality of life are inquired? • Which method is prefered? Why? • What are the results of this research? For who? How could we interpret them?

33. Methodologyofqualitativeresearch • Questionnaires • In-depth interviews • Mental mapping • Observation • Etnomethodological methods • Alternative methods…

34. How to realize research? • Youhave to frame: • Researchproblem (qualityoflife?) • Researchtopic (Qualityoflife in a region, in somecommunities, Domainsofqualityoflife…) • Researchquestion • Thenyouhave to define: • Goals • Focusgroups + focus region • Evaluation, interpretation, forwhoitisintented • Capacitiesx constraints (time, collaborators, money…) • > METHODS

35. 7th homework • Suggest and write methodical approach to measure subjective dimension of quality of life • Follow the points (framing problem, question…) and finally suggest appropriate method • Think about innovativeness, feasibility!

36. 8th seminar

37. Results of research • How to interpret the outputs of research? Could we generalise the results? • Should the geography help people to improve quality of life? Should we participate into this process? How? • What is the aim of quality of life‘s science? What is the purpose of science (or life)?

38. What is the best place for living? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_OC322UeqU&feature=related • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rNGzD5fWAo

39. 8th homework • Problem area: Cejl • Read articles in various medias about life in Cejl • Go to Cejl and think about their quality of life -> Prepare research question (unique, original and of course feasible) and goals of research • Is it really area with the worst quality of life? Why? Or should we investigate in other area?

40. 9th seminar

41. Bad quality of life in Brno? • Problem area: Cejl • Is it really area with the worst quality of life? Why? Or should we investigate in other area? • What is a focus group of research? Gypsies or non-gypsies? • Which are the most significant problems? • Which factors cause these problems?

43. Problem of social exclusion • Spatialsegregation -> social exlusion-> cumulation of socialproblems (conflicts, unemployment, debts, criminality, drugaddiction…) • Factorsofsocialexclusion? • Spatialfactors • Housing, livingcondition • Unemployment • Education • Culture... • Whichdomainsofqualityoflifeshouldweinquire? How?

44. Problem of housing • Bad example: • Removal of gypsies into lodging house • No paying, cumulation of problem • No relation with place x • Good example: • Community planning • Parcipation of gypsies into process of reconstruction • Relation with place

45. Conclusionofetnographicalresearch Právě primární výzkumné zaměření na lokalitu „Cejl“ vede nejen k opomíjení ostatních lokalit, ale také k opominutí faktu, že stále častěji dochází k přesunu obyvatel mimo tyto lokality, tj. že dochází k migraci v rámci města Brna. Vzhledem k plánovaným i realizovaným urbanistickým proměnám je třeba očekávat rozsáhlé změny v lokalitách a zároveň v charakteru a rozsahu zdejšího sociálního vyloučení a jeho přesouvání do lokalit jiných. Pro další výzkumy se tedy jako stěžejní jeví zaměřit se na přesuny ohnisek sociálního vyloučení a mechanismy, které je umožňují. S tímto faktem souvisí také zaměření výzkumu na samotné NNO a jejich činnost přesahující či kopírující hranice lokality, tj. monitoring toho, do jaké míry jsou tyto organizace připraveny reagovat na urbanistické změny a svou činnost směřovat do jiných částí města. Source: „Dlouhodobý monitoring situace romských komunit v České republice: moravské lokality“ (2008)

46. 9th homework • Write down text that includes: • Review of your research question • Reformulation of goals of your research • Redefinition of problem localities • Methodical approaches

47. 10th seminar

48. Specific research – problemareasofliving • Review of your research question • Reformulation of goals of your research • Redefinition of problem localities • Methodical approaches

49. Real research Realization? Time, space? Data? Talking, observation? Evaluation, interpretation?

50. Thank you for your attention and feedback!