Graciela Tonon Bücher

Focusing on the intersection of quality of life research and policy-making, this book examines the roles of researchers, policy makers, and citizens in shaping public policies. It emphasizes the importance of including diverse actors beyond the state in defining issues and proposing solutions related to well-being. The text identifies barriers and enablers in this collaborative process and reviews various support mechanisms that influence quality of life. Additionally, it suggests pathways for stakeholders to effectively engage in creating better societies.

Summarizing a number of studies developed by the author over the last decade, this book explores the relationship between young people’s social welfare, well-being, and civil identity, showing that the links are more multifaceted than one might assume.

This volume explores the use and relevance of qualitative methods for the study of quality of life. It analyzes the role of qualitative researcher and the role of the context and the culture in quality of life studies. It presents the use of qualitative methods in real projects carried out in specific fields: geography, health, community studies, labor life and yoga. Finally, the book proposes the use of mixed methods that are considered as the third methodological approach in social research. The main purpose of using qualitative methods is to understand what it means for participants to be involved in certain events, situations and actions. Such methods help understand the context in which participants act and the influence of that context on their actions. The decision to use a particular methodology implies a philosophic, theoretical and political decision. Qualitative methodology constitutes an approach that is essential for understanding people’s experiences of well-being and discovering new issues related to quality of life.

This book presents a reconfiguration of the concepts of community in Latin countries as well as the community quality of life and well-being of different groups: children, young people, older adults, migrants. The traditional concept of community has changed together with the way people participate in community spaces. Community nowadays is more than a geographic concentration; it is related to social support, inter-subjectivity, participation, consensus, common beliefs, joint effort aiming at a major objective, and intense and extensive relationships. This volume presents unique experiences about culture, social development, health, water, armed conflicts, the digital media, and sports within communities, written by authors from Latin countries. This volume is a valuable resource for researchers, students, and policy makers in quality of life studies.