Overview
- A unique contribution to the exploration of a new perspective in the study of well-being
- Focuses on individual and collective definitions of the 'good life' in the Bolivian plateau and explores potential contradictions between different orientations and models of well-being
- Offers a contribution to Andean anthropology and to the understanding of 'poverty' and wellbeing
- Makes a contribution to debates regarding poverty and well-being?
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Well-Being and Quality of Life Research (BRIEFSWELLBEING)
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Table of contents (6 chapters)
Keywords
- An anthropological approach to well-being
- Aymara intellectuals
- Constitutión Política del Estado
- Ethnographic Research in the urban area of El Alto, Bolivia
- Everyday Life in Bolivia
- Fiesta or religious festivity in El Alto, Bolivia
- Household Harmony in Bolivia
- Household dynamics in El Alto, Bolivia
- Important political changes in Bolivia
- National Well-Being Bolivia
- Social Mobilisation in El Alto, Bolivia
- Suma Jakaňa
- Suma Qamaňa
- Universal Definitions of Well-Being
- Value of Living Well Together
- Well-Being and Community in Bolivia
- Well-Being and Methodological Approaches
- Well-Being and Relations
About this book
This volume is a unique contribution to the exploration of a new perspective in the study of well-being, which tries to overcome the quantification bias by creating an account of ‘the good life’ in a specific place. Rather than numbers, this research focuses on local narratives, emphasising the urgent need to include a wider range of methodological approaches when engaging with well-being.
The volume demonstrates through the Bolivian case study the value of qualitative research for well-being studies. It shows the potential to integrate predominant quantitative data with qualitative outcomes, such as those emerging through ethnography. It is aimed at academics, researchers and students in well-being/quality of life studies, as well as audiences in the non-profit, governmental and policy in the non-profit, governmental and policy sectors. The book provides new perspectives in achieving better indicators of well-being and quality-of-life.
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Her work has mainly focussed on individual and collective definitions of `the good life', exploring potential contradictions between different models and analysing how individual dimensions compete with collective ones in this context. In Bolivia Melania looked at different actions adopted for the achievement of well-being, taking into account gender and generational differences. In particular, these include social protests, moments of fiesta, household cooperation, and the resort to supernatural forces through private rituals such as cambio de suerte -change of luck, showing how material and spiritual well-being are both mediated through objects and faith. Melania Calestani is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Southampton.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: An Anthropological Journey into Well-Being
Book Subtitle: Insights from Bolivia
Authors: Melania Calestani
Series Title: SpringerBriefs in Well-Being and Quality of Life Research
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5669-4
Publisher: Springer Dordrecht
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Social Sciences (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature B.V. 2013
Softcover ISBN: 978-94-007-5668-7Published: 06 November 2012
eBook ISBN: 978-94-007-5669-4Published: 06 November 2012
Series ISSN: 2211-7644
Series E-ISSN: 2211-7652
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: X, 96
Number of Illustrations: 4 b/w illustrations
Topics: Quality of Life Research, Psychology Research, Personality and Social Psychology