SECTION TWO - A THINKPIECE
CHAPTER 2.1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Scottish Executive asked the Centre for Cultural Policy Research ( CCPR) to undertake a review of the social research and economics literature on quality of life and well-being. The task was to summarise the various definitions of the concepts of quality of life and well-being, focusing, in particular, on definitions of quality of life and well-being in the context of culture and sport impacts on the individual and community. The research team was asked to examine definitions of terms and to explore the difficulties in measuring quality of life and well-being, and to look at the methodologies employed.
1.2 Professor David Bell of the University of Stirling undertook a review of the literature related to economics and subjective well-being ( see Annex One), and Susan Galloway and Nicola Sneddon reviewed the social research with assistance and advice from Dr Mark Petticrew. Christine Hamilton and Adrienne Scullion prepared this 'think piece' drawing on the findings of the literature review.
1.3 Specifically, the Scottish Executive asked CCPR -
- to develop social and economic indicators to measure the impact of culture and sport on the quality of life and sense of well-being of both individuals and communities;
- if sufficient information was available, to comment and assess the impacts on particular groups, such as young people, disabled people, ethnic minorities, older people, low socio-economic groups, rural communities, etc; and,
- to develop methods for measuring the contribution of a culture and/or sport intervention to well-being, covering quantitative and qualitative methods, across social and economic areas; and including rules of thumb to measuring and/or valuing benefits where valid.
1.4 In this think piece we start this work by reviewing some key issues raised as essential by the literature review, not least those around definitions and methodologies. We also look briefly at the wider policy debates on the quality of life of communities: this requires, firstly, examining the question of definitions; and, secondly, asking if the indicators which are being developed might be extended to measuring the impact of culture and sport on quality of life and well-being.
1.5 Turning specifically to debates in cultural policy, we demonstrate in the literature review that there is a small but growing cultural policy literature which has, to varying degrees, started to address the issue of indicators for cultural - and, as we will argue, sports activity - with reference to wider measurements of quality of life and well-being. While policy in the UK has focused on measuring the impact of culture and sport on the economy and on issues and aspects of social exclusion, elsewhere we found some approaches which start with the assumption that it is a given that these activities bring with them social and economic benefit which, in turn, improves quality of life. We consider what might usefully be learnt from this and how the relatively new concept of 'cultural planning' might be appropriately deployed.
1.6 Finally, in this think piece, we suggest how the Executive might take forward the issue of developing indicators, building on the conclusions of the literature review.