9th Conference European Sociological Association

RS09 Research Methods in Ethnic and Migration Studies

2009-09-04 09:00:00 2009-09-04 10:30:00 Friday, 4 September 09:00 - 10:30 Emerging Approaches: Gender and Narrative Perspectives Building I, 2E5

Between "objective" and "subjective" quality of life measures. Material living standards and individual perception of life in a central Bosnia and Herzegovina area

The lack of congruency between "subjective" and "objective" measures in the quality of life studies has been subject of discussion since long time (Diener e Suh 1997; Easterlin 1995; Oswald 1997; Cantril (1965), Ouweneel e Veenhoven (1991), Diener et. al. (1995), Schyns (1998) and Hagerty and Veenhoven (2003).
The paper will follow this line using data recollected in a survey conducted in the Zavidovici's area (Bosnia Herzegovina), a small rural village which population is characterized by different migration experiences and by an ethnic and religious self identification. 150 women were interviewed using a questionnaire aimed at studying material living standards and subjective satisfaction on life.
Our aim is not to re-open an ancient debate on the theoretical soundness of different type of measures, but to show another occasion in which looking at only one "side of the street" may be a source of misinterpretation.