Quality of Life Survey
- main program of the
Research Institute for the Quality of Life
Gabriela Neagu
BHC International Seminar
October 1, 2010
Bacău
Research Institute for the Quality of Life
Research themes
•
Social policies and social development: design and evaluation
•
Quality of Life Survey
•
Living standards, incomes and consumption
•
Community development
•
Social and symbolic capital
Beneficiaries
•
Social policy officials
•
Central and local government
•
International institutions (EU, World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP, ILO), social partners (unions, NGOs)
•
Students, master and PhD students
International affiliations
•
European Foundation for Improving Living Conditions and Working Conditions network
•
European Values Study / World Values Study
•
EU FP 4,5&6
Quality of Life Research in Romania – a short
history

early 70s: prof. Cătălin Zamfir designed the first study in Romania

1984: first book Indicators and variation sources for the quality of life
1990: Research Institute for the Quality of Life is founded within the
Romanian Academy network

1990: first Quality of Life Survey on a representative sample for the entire
population of Romania

1990-1999: a survey each year

2003, 2006: a set of indicators used in european surveys is added to the survey
design

2010: the latest survey

Results & dissemination:
Academic articles in the Quality of Life Journal, published by the
Romanian Academy www.revistacalitateavieţii.ro

national & internaitonal conferences & workshops
2010: ICCV: 20 years after (www.iccv.ro)

books:
• Quality of Life in Romania (editors Ioan Mărginean, Ana Bălasa),
Expert, 2002
• Quality of Life in Romania (editor Ioan Mărginean), Expert, 2004

a multi-disciplinary research team:sociologist, economists,
psychologists

Main subjects in the Quality of Life Survey (1)
I. Household economic well-being (incomes, consumption,
housing, appliances, etc.)
II. Perceived quality of life
• livind conditions (health, family, living conditions);
• economic resources evaluation (incomes, needs);
• working conditions (available jobs, quality of work,
colleague relations, career)
• free time
• social evironment (personal security, human rights)
• social services (health care, education, local and central
government)
• social and politcal participation (information access,
quality of information, participation levels)
Main subjects in the Quality of Life Survey (2)
III. Perception of changes / quality of life expectations
• view of the future compared to the present
• view of the present compared to the past
• decision on changes
• groups favored / disfavored by change
IV. Work
• schedule
• activities
V. Free time
• activities
VI. Human environment
• relationships
• social trust
VII. Concerns and fears
VIII. Life satisfaction (overall and components)
How would you regard your income
compared with your needs?
1993
1996
1999
2003
2006
2010
Not enough for basics
25.5
33.8
39.7
33.4
27.2
30,6
Enough for basics
35
36.7
36.7
39.6
34.3
33,8
Enough for a decent living
30.2
21.3
16.5
20
23.6
25,7
Enough for buying even more expensive
goods
8.5
6.9
5.8
5.8
13
9,7
We have everything we need
0.6
0.5
0.5
0.8
1.6
0,5
Chance of finding a job according to aspirations and
professional degree
1993
1996
2003
2006
2010
Very low
27.4
30.3
35.0
28.9
39,4
Low
35.6
40.9
40.1
41.7
37
Satisfying
12.5
16.4
13.0
16.4
17,3
High
9.7
7.0
6.2
7.4
5,7
Very high
1.1
0.6
0.4
1.8
0,3
DN/NA
13.6
0.4
5.4
3.5
0,2
Human relations perception
1993
1996
1999
2003
2006
2010
Very dissatisfied
6,8
4,8
9,9
6,2
4,9
9,6
Dissatisfied
37,3
26,7
33,7
28,8
27,0
28,2
Nor satisfied, nor dissatisfied
30,5
34,2
33,1
36,4
36,6
41,7
Satisfied
23,1
31,5
21,3
24,5
28,9
19,6
Very satisfied
0,7
0,5
0,4
0,4
0,9
0,7
DN/NA
1,5
2,3
1,6
3,7
1,7
0,2
How the country is run
79,5
77,3
48,9
41
32,6
18,7
17,7
16,1
15,8
1990
1999
2006
satisfying
badly
well
satisfying
4
badly
well
satisfying
badly
well
satisfying
5,8
2010
well
38,8
badly
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Personal and family security perception
45
40
35
30
42,3
39,4
33,5
36,1
38,9
34,9
35,3
32,5
28,9
24,5
25
27
22
20
15
10
5
1990
1999
2006
2010
good
satisfying
low
good
satisfying
low
good
satisfying
low
good
satisfying
low
0
Perception of Changes in Society after
1989
60
54
46,6
50
42,3
40
30
53,7
33,2
32,6
29,3
32,8
23,9
22,2
20
12,6
11,6
1995
1999
2006
2010
positive
satisfying
negative
positive
satisfying
negative
positive
satisfying
negative
positive
negative
0
satisfying
10