Measuring Societal Wellbeing in Europe

I 

Measuring Societal Wellbeing in Europe: A Research Symposium

In recent years the notion of wellbeing has become increasingly pervasive in the public sphere. Following the Stiglitz report in September 2009 it has also caught the attention of politicians and policy makers. There is widespread agreement that wellbeing is important and needs to be measured so that it can be monitored and explained. There is less agreement about exactly what it is, how - and at what level - it is best measured, and whether existing data are fit for purpose.

The aims of this one-day symposium are to bring together different strands of work in this area and to discuss how researchers can pool their resources more effectively in the future.

Programme

Welcome and Introduction (9.30)

Session 1: Measuring wellbeing in one country (9.45-11.00)

- The Life Situation index in the Netherlands since 1974 - Jeroen Boelhouwer, SCP
- The National Wellbeing initiative in the UK - Paul Allin, ONS
- Life Satisfaction in the Italian Omnibus Survey - Adolfo Morrone, IStat

Coffee

Session 2: Measuring wellbeing cross-nationally (11.15-1.00)

- Measuring the Progress of Societies - Conal Smith, OECD
- The European System of Social Indicators - Heinz-Herbert Noll, Gesis
- Atittudinal Indicators of Societal Wellbeing - Eric Harrison, City University London

Lunch

Session 3: Presenting and communicating indicators of wellbeing (1.45 - 3.00)

- National accounts of wellbeing - Nic Marks, New Economics Foundation
- TBC

Coffee

Session 4: Panel: Towards more integrated indicators of wellbeing in Europe (3.15 -4.00)

- Tadas Leoncikas (Eurofound), Aura Leulescu (Eurostat), Ian Barber (Eurobarometer)

Concluding Remarks (4.00 -4.30)