The Development of the Concept of “Quality of Life”
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Abstract
Research subject: The concept of the quality of life.
Research objectives: To conduct an analysis of the development of the concept of quality of life and to review the multidimensional theoretical and empirical domains in which the social construct of quality of life is analysed. The article aims to discuss ideas derived from the findings of theoretical and empirical research on the quality of life and, also, to reveal opportunities for the analysis of quality of life from new perspectives (i.e., analysing ethical/moral values of an individual in addition to objective and subjective factors).
Research methods: systematic literature analysis and synthesis; research into contents.
Conclusions: Based on our analysis of theoretical material, we can say that historically the concept of quality of life was developing as a multidimensional concept incorporating both objective facts/conditions and subjective assessments. The tradition of research into quality of life appears to have been actively developed in Lithuania, particularly in regard to the domain of health-related quality of life. To generalise, we can say that, as a result of its multidimensional nature, the content of the concept of quality of life does not have a single and absolute definition. Therefore, researchers, on the one hand, have been developing the field of quantitative research by adapting certain standardised criteria of quality of life to different groups of individuals, and, on the other hand, they aim to objectify the assessment of quality of life by adding thereto new variables that objectify the concept of quality of life. The material presented in the article represents the latter trend suggesting that ethical and moral values of an individual should be assessed and taken into account while judging on quality of life.
Research objectives: To conduct an analysis of the development of the concept of quality of life and to review the multidimensional theoretical and empirical domains in which the social construct of quality of life is analysed. The article aims to discuss ideas derived from the findings of theoretical and empirical research on the quality of life and, also, to reveal opportunities for the analysis of quality of life from new perspectives (i.e., analysing ethical/moral values of an individual in addition to objective and subjective factors).
Research methods: systematic literature analysis and synthesis; research into contents.
Conclusions: Based on our analysis of theoretical material, we can say that historically the concept of quality of life was developing as a multidimensional concept incorporating both objective facts/conditions and subjective assessments. The tradition of research into quality of life appears to have been actively developed in Lithuania, particularly in regard to the domain of health-related quality of life. To generalise, we can say that, as a result of its multidimensional nature, the content of the concept of quality of life does not have a single and absolute definition. Therefore, researchers, on the one hand, have been developing the field of quantitative research by adapting certain standardised criteria of quality of life to different groups of individuals, and, on the other hand, they aim to objectify the assessment of quality of life by adding thereto new variables that objectify the concept of quality of life. The material presented in the article represents the latter trend suggesting that ethical and moral values of an individual should be assessed and taken into account while judging on quality of life.
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