Projects / Programmes
ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE IN SLOVENIA IN GLOBALISED CONTEXT
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.02.01 |
Social sciences |
Economics |
Economy sciences |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S180 |
Social sciences |
Economics, econometrics, economic theory, economic systems, economic policy |
| S188 |
Social sciences |
Economics of development |
quality of life, living style, sustainable development, information society, sustainable production and consumption
Researchers (4)
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
0502 |
Institute for Economic Research |
Ljubljana |
5051690000 |
2,511 |
Abstract
The proposed research project deals with economic aspects of the quality of life. The project will analyse the problem of finding an optimal combination of sources for increasing the quality of life on both the production and consumption sides within the framework of related internal and external limitations. The main research hypothesis of the research project is that the path to reaching the goal of increased welfare is achievable by development whose criterion of success is not only one-sided and short-sighted – profit maximisation, but multidimensional, including concepts such as reversibility and diversity of economic development. The present Slovenian Strategy of Development on the declarative level indeed emphasizes sustainable development, as a means of increasing the competitiveness of the economy in the longer run, but within this concept the roles of production and consumption are not treated equally. The gap between them becomes even more obvious in practice.
The objectives of the research are the following: a) to increase the awareness of the population concerning the impact of their consumption life style and resulting structure of production on the quality of life of individuals and society as a whole, and thereby to contribute to the improvement of the so called »consumption culture«, b) to overcome a deep-rooted belief that development is limited to just economic progress; development is in fact a complex concept which involves the whole spectrum of socio-economic changes, and c) to determine, first, whether it is at all possible and, second, in what way Slovenia should define, realize and adapt its own development path within the framework of the EU, so that the multifunctionally defined quality of life would be enhanced and these so far marginalized competitive advantages of Slovenian development utilized and realized.
Research activities on the project can be divided in three groups: a) global verification of the research hypothesis on the basis of theoretical and empirical literature, b) assessment of the possibilities for the adaptation of the existing development concept in Slovenia, and c) verification of the results of the projects through open scientific and public debates.
The results of the projects should be of strategic importance and are expected to be the scientific basis for the adaptation of the Slovenian development strategy after 2013. The results of the research will be the following: a) verification of the public opinion on the quality of life in Slovenia and its expected changes, b) critical review of the methodologies for measuring the quality of life, values in the society and sustainable development, c) assessment of the role of production and consumption as the key concept in the current development strategy, d) evaluation of internal and external barriers to actual reorientation towards the sustainable society, e) development of theoretical tools for the verification of the main research hypothesis and for identifying actual changes in development concepts, and f) assessment of expected changes in the economic structure (and in the non-economic sphere) as the result of the realization of the sustainable development concept. Impact of the research will be assured through diversified forms of dissemination of the results.
Significance for science
Theory of economic welfare is in need of a radical reform. According to the latest research results, the quality of life in the developed societies does not increase with the growth of GDP or purchasing power; on the contrary, it stagnates. Neoclassical economic framework of sustainable development has focused on the market and technology as the central determinants of societal change which at the same time avoids degradation of the environment. This view is based on a rational objective assumption of sustainable global industrialisation. Bruntland report (1987) has complemented the neoclassical view with taking into account cultural and political aspects of sustainability. But a radical redefinition of the neoclassical view is to be found only in the »cognitive order«, which re-evaluates the role of social actors in the creation of realities. The research project deals with the quality of life in the globalised environment, based on an equal treatment of all three dimensions of sustainability: economic, environmental and societal. In this sense it importantly contributes to the reformulation of the theory of economic welfare. Additionally, in the research we also define the perspective sectors, which can have the most greatest contribution to the enhancement of the quality of life in Slovenia. It is the first such test and pioneer’s work, a mental and methodological experiment, which deserves to be upgraded in the following research.
Significance for the country
Results are of strategic importance and are seen as the scientific background for the adaptation of the development strategy after the year 2013. By these we also mean the use of multicriterial decision analysis for redefining the development strategy. It is expected that the theme will attract considerable attention of macroeconomic policy makers and development economists in Slovenia, as well as in international academic arena. Operationally speaking, the research results are particularly interesting for the Ministry of Development and for the Institute for Macroeconomic Analysis and Development.
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
