scholarly journals The good life in rural and urban Senegal: A qualitative and quantitative study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0252134
Author(s):  
Priscilla Duboz ◽  
Enguerran Macia ◽  
Amadou H. Diallo ◽  
Emmanuel Cohen ◽  
Audrey Bergouignan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Good Life ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
The Good Life ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
North East ◽  
Rural And Urban

Very few studies have analyzed the influence of the environment, rural or urban, on the notion of good life and subjective well-being in sub-Saharan Africa and none, to our knowledge, has combined qualitative and quantitative methodologies for this purpose. The objectives of this interdisciplinary study were: a) to understand the emic representations of the good life in rural and urban Senegal and; b) to compare the levels and determinants of satisfaction with life between these two populations. This study was carried out in Dakar and in a very isolated rural area in the North East of Senegal: the sylvo-pastoral zone of Ferlo. A total of six focus groups were conducted for the qualitative phase, while the quantitative phase was conducted on representative samples of the populations living in Dakar (N = 1000) and Téssékéré (N = 500). Our results indicate that, against all expectations, life satisfaction is better in the Senegalese Ferlo than in the capital, Dakar. This difference may be the joint result of less meaningful social comparisons and a relationship with nature as a source of stress restoration in rural areas. However, the lifeworld of the rural Fulani of the Ferlo is being undermined by global climatic disturbances, which imposes rapid adaptations of pastoralism; otherwise this activity, that is not only subsistence but also identity-based, may disappear.

“And you, what do you think of optimism?”

Propelled ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 132-148
Author(s):  
Andreas Elpidorou
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Good Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Good Life ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
The Face ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
Positive Health Outcomes ◽  
Crucial Ingredient

The chapter illustrates the benefits (and in some cases, the dangers) of anticipation in the pursuit of the good life. It discusses how anticipation figures in decision-making, savoring, and optimism. It shows how anticipation can often boost our levels of subjective well-being and explains why anticipation is linked to numerous positive health outcomes. Anticipation also helps us to overcome life obstacles and remain resilient in the face of difficult challenges. Thus, anticipation is a crucial ingredient of the good life. In addition to its ability to prolong and amplify positive experiences, anticipation is a motivating mechanism that provides us with the emotional energy we need to pursue what we believe is significant and important.

scholarly journals The Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Subjective Well-Being Inventory in the General Korean Population: Psychometric Properties and Normative Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. 1538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Ho Yun ◽  
Ye Eun Rhee ◽  
Eunkyo Kang ◽  
Jin-ah Sim
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Life Scale ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Positive Correlations

This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Subjective Well-Being Inventory (SWBI) in a nationally representative sample in Korea. A total of 1200 people completed the semi-structured, self-reported questionnaire, which included five items from the SWLS and 14 items from the SWBI. All items and the total score of both the SWLS and the SWBI showed high internal consistency (with Cronbach’s alphas of 0.886 and 0.946, respectively). The item-total correlation values for both measures were in the ranges of 0.71–0.75 and 0.65–0.80, respectively. There were positive correlations between the SWLS and SWBI (r = 0.59, p = 0.01). The SWLS, SWBI and global well-being (GWB) scores were positively correlated with the McGill Quality of Life subscales (p = 0.01) but negatively correlated with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (p = 0.01). Participants under 50 years old (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00–1.69) and those in rural areas (aOR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.28–2.07) had higher scores on the SWLS than other participant groups. Participants who were under 50 years old (aOR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.12–1.92), were male (aOR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.04–1.71), were married (aOR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.13–2.01), lived in rural areas (aOR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.35–3.91), or had higher incomes (aOR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.02–1.65) showed higher SWBI scores. This study showed that the SLWS and SWBI have good psychometric properties and could be applicable to Korea.

More similarities than differences: poverty and social exclusion in rural and urban locations

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Bailey ◽  
Maria Gannon
Keyword(s):  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Rural Places ◽  
Main Message ◽  
Different Levels

Urban and rural locations may have different levels of poverty or social exclusion but also different combinations of problems or forms of exclusion. Understanding these differences is important both for the allocation of resources but also for the development of appropriate policies or interventions. Overall, this chapter argues that the similarities between urban and rural areas are greater than the differences. There are substantial levels of poverty in urban and rural locations although most measures show higher levels in more urban locations. There are notable differences between measures, however, with low income measures inflating estimates of poverty in more rural locations compared with other measures, notably those based on deprivation. Contrary to expectations in much of the literature, we do not find strong differences in the forms of exclusion in different areas: some aspects are worse in urban locations (notably neighbourhood problems and subjective well-being), while others are worse in rural places (notably transport and access to services). The experience of poverty is equally shaming in urban and rural locations. The main message for policy is the need to focus on core national policies to tackle poverty and exclusion in rural and urban locations alike.

scholarly journals Unmet Aspirations and Urban Malaise

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Hanell
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Developed Economies

AbstractThis article analyses the gap between human aspirations concerning self-enhancement and corresponding outcomes in ten western European countries. Utilizing individual data for 14,300 respondents from the European Social Survey, four self-enhancement gap metrics are created: (1) the Ambition gap; (2) the Success gap; (3) the Wealth gap; and (4) the Authority gap. The findings suggest that subjective well-being (SWB) appears to be higher in rural than in urban communities. One reason for lower SWB among urban residents relates to their higher aspirations in certain areas of life. However, urban areas are apparently able to meet the financial expectations of their inhabitants far better than rural areas are, whereas an unmet craving for, e.g., success in rural areas appears not to affect SWB at all. Overall, there is a strong association between unmet aspirations and lower satisfaction with life. The added value of this paper is that it goes beyond existing explanations of the reasons behind urban malaise in developed economies.

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