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Gathering in Challenging Times: Why ISQOLS 2026 in the U.S. Matters
As an American who has lived in Germany for the past 26 years, I often look back to the states with both, appreciation for having been born and raised there and also, reminded that we are never exempt from challenging times. While in Europe, I truly have had the opportunity to experience various cultures, societal systems and mindsets about well-being. Additionally, I have learned that all countries go through periods of difficulty. The U.S. is currently experiencing many dimensions of complex social and political issues; like many countries around the globe. It is precisely at this moment when researchers, educators, and practitioners interested in quality of life have an increased responsibility to fulfill their respective roles. This is why the 24th Annual Conference of International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) - held August 11 - 14, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky - is so significant. An “academic conference”, yes, but also much more. This is a chance for people from different nations, education, disciplines, and life experiences to gather in the same room, share their work, listen and respond to each other - while reflecting together of a better future. When scholars of happiness, well-being, equity, and social progress gather, ideas spark, collaborations ignite, and new ideas take flame. There is an exchange of purpose that leads to collaboration and ultimately to the development of solutions. Given the division of the world today, this type of interaction fosters hope and mutual understanding. Lexington, Kentucky is in the heart of the Bluegrass Region and offers a hospitable environment for productive and solution oriented discussions. The talks and ideas that will be shared and friendships that will be established will, I believe, eventually impact policies, communities and institutions. In this way, the gathering in Lexington has the possibility of affecting not only academic discourse but also the daily lives of people in the U.S. and around the world. I truly think and hope that together, we can help move folks from around the world in the direction of a compassionate, kinder and more evidence-based society.
Let’s all hold on to the vision of what John Lennon said, "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end".
Randall Birnberg
We are pleased to share that ISQOLS, together with Board Member Francesco Sarracino, has been awarded the Knowledge Award by the Quality of Life Initiative (UN-Habitat).
The Knowledge Award recognizes academic partners whose research and contributions have provided key insights and a strong conceptual foundation for the Quality of Life Initiative, supported by evidence from case studies. Francesco Sarracino’s contribution, including his Global Urban Lecture, was highlighted as standing out during the Initiative’s first cycle.
The award was celebrated during the Virtual Celebration of the Quality of Life Initiative and its partners, held on Monday, 8 December 2025. The event also marked an important milestone for the Initiative, with the presentation of key results, reflections on lessons learned, and the launch of the Pilot Cities Report, bringing together evidence, lived experience, and examples from across the global network to better understand and improve urban quality of life.
Watch the event recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88oXu6hKldg
We warmly congratulate Francesco and thank the Quality of Life Initiative and UN-Habitat for this recognition of ISQOLS’ ongoing contribution to advancing knowledge on quality of life worldwide.
A new book has been published about consumer well-being. The book's title is Happiness in the Marketplace: A Study of Consumption, Consumers and Wellbeing. The authors are Dong-Jin Lee and M. Joseph Sirgy. The book is published by Springer (Social Indicators Research Book Series).
This book provides a systematic review and analysis of the literature on product-related, situational, organizational, and cultural factors influencing people’s happiness in the marketplace. The authors, senior experts in the field, make specific recommendations to design and implement consumer wellbeing strategies. These recommendations are for marketing executives to maximize their effectiveness and help consumers achieve optimal levels of happiness (overall happiness, consumer happiness, and consumption happiness), which in turn could enhance organizational return on investment through customer loyalty, repeat patronage, sales, and profit. The book reviews and integrates learnings from the research on happiness in several fields of study, namely, quality-of-life studies, marketing, consumer studies, social psychology, and behavioral economics, and is of interest to marketing executives and academics from various fields working on consumers and consumer wellbeing.
To learn more about the book, click on this link: Happiness in the Marketplace: A Study of Consumption, Consumers and Wellbeing | SpringerLink
Happy 90th Birthday, Alex Michalos!
Dear Alex,
We celebrate your remarkable life and legacy as a true pioneer of quality-of-life and social indicators research. From laying the foundations of ISQOLS to inspiring generations through your scholarship and leadership, your impact is immeasurable. With gratitude and admiration, we raise a glass to your health, happiness, and enduring influence.
We also invite our members to read the special tribute letters from Wolfgang Glatzer and Valerie Møller, which beautifully capture your extraordinary contributions and friendship.
Alex Michalos tribute 90 years - Wolfgang Glatzer.
Dear Alex happy birthday from Valerie Moller
Watch the recent interview with Alex on our ISQOLS Youtube Channel here.
Learn more about Alex Michalos' contributions to the field of quality-of-life research.
“Well-being in Asia” Special Issue Published!
Inspired by the ISQOLS 2024 conference in Borneo and edited by Martijn Burger and Nicholas Tze Ping Pang, this collection highlights the shift from Western models toward more Asia-affirmative perspectives on happiness and well-being, emphasizing relational harmony, tranquility, and collective flourishing.
Read the editorial and explore the full issue: Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 16 (2025)
Does the Perceived Quality of Social Services Affect Citizens' Well-Being? Prof. Lihi Lahat and Dr. Chen Sharony*
The core goal of the welfare state and its social services is to improve the well-being of its citizens. However, the connection between how people perceive the quality of social services and their subjective well-being has been largely underexplored.
A new study conducted by Prof. Lihi Lahat, Dr. Chen Sharony, Guy Van-Dam, and Prof. Nir Sharon—based on a collaboration between scholars in social policy and applied mathematics—sheds light on the relationship between citizens’ perceptions of social service quality and their sense of well-being.
The study employed a multi-level analysis of data from the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS), covering 28 countries. It examined how public perceptions of the quality of services such as healthcare, education, childcare, public housing, and pensions influence individual well-being.
The findings suggest that the more positively people perceive the quality of social services, the higher their reported level of well-being. Interestingly, the reverse relationship was also significant: people with higher subjective well-being are more likely to perceive social services as higher in quality. However, the impact of service quality on well-being is more substantial than the reverse.
The study also found that education and childcare are the most influential services in shaping well-being. Additionally, a country's welfare regime (e.g., social-democratic vs. liberal) affects both perceptions of service quality and perceptions of well-being. Citizens in social-democratic countries reported higher levels in both dimensions.
A unique insight, enabled by an advanced mathematical tool called Diffusion Maps, revealed that individuals with lower levels of well-being tend to have more homogeneous perceptions of social service quality. In contrast, those with higher well-being have more heterogeneous views.
These findings carry significant implications for policymakers. Services that involve direct and daily interaction with citizens, such as education and childcare, have a substantial impact on well-being. Thus, while other services are undoubtedly essential, public investment in these areas may play a crucial role in shaping perceptions of well-being.
The distinction between homogeneous and heterogeneous perceptions of service quality across groups with varying levels of well-being also raises important questions about how public perceptions of the quality of social services should be assessed. This insight may also have implications for the design and delivery of services.
To read the full article (open access): Lahat, L., Sharony, C., Van-Dam, G., & Sharon, N. (2025). The Relationship Between Perceptions of Social Service Quality and Subjective Well‐Being, Social Policy & Administration.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/spol.13141
Authors Prof. Lihi Lahat – Department of Public Policy and Administration, Sapir Academic College; Affiliated Professor, Azrieli Institute of Israel Studies, Department of Political Science, Concordia University, Montreal. Dr. Chen Sharony – Department of Public Policy and Administration, Sapir Academic College; Department of Public Policy and Management, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; School of Social Work and Department of Management, Jerusalem Multidisciplinary Center. Guy Van-Dam – Department of Applied Mathematics, Tel Aviv University. Prof. Nir Sharon – Department of Applied Mathematics, Tel Aviv University.
* A Hebrew version of this post will be published in ESPANet Israel posts.
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ISQOLS Member Reflections: Insights from ISQOLS members from Mexico and Costa Rica on the 2025 World Happiness Report
For the first time, Costa Rica and Mexico have ranked among the top 10 happiest countries in the 2025 World Happiness Report. In this special edition of our ISQOLS Member Reflections series, scholars from the region explore how cultural warmth, social programs, and a people-first mindset are driving well-being—offering powerful insights that challenge traditional views of progress. Read their full reflections here.
New Blog Series: ISQOLS Member Reflections
Finland tops the 2025 World Happiness Report once again — but what does this mean beyond the numbers? In our new blog series, ISQOLS Member Reflections, Finnish researchers share personal insights on happiness, culture, and community. Read their full reflections here.
Congratulations to our 2025 Best Dissertation Award Recipients:
1st prize: Stephanie Heß, Family Matters A Multisystem Investigation of Children's Subjective Well-being
2nd prize: Athanasios (Thanasis) Ziogas, No human is an island: essays on the economic geography of happiness
3rd prize: Karl Overdick, Essays on Subjective Wellbeing and Behaviour
Learn more:
https://isqols.org/dissertationaward
IAMO FORUM 2025: Submit your contribution until 9 February 2025
Dear colleagues and friends,
We warmly invite you to participate in the IAMO Forum 2025 "Rural Roots and Routes: Navigating Complexities of Quality of Life, Immobility, and Migration" which will take place from June 18 to 20, 2025 in Halle (Saale), Germany.
The conference is organized as part of the Leibniz Best Minds Project RuWell and co-organized by the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) and the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB).
The interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary IAMO Forum provides a unique platform for exchanging novel insights, rigorous research, and practical solutions that address the complex relationships between quality of life, migration, and immobility.
The Forum welcomes contributions on the following topics:
Submit your extended abstract for oral/poster presentations or organized sessions to www.conftool.org/iamo2025/ by 9 February 2025. We particularly encourage submissions with a geographical focus on Europe, Central Asia, and China.
More information about the IAMO Forum 2025 and a call for papers can be found at www.iamo.de/forum/2025. Please feel free to forward this information to any interested parties.
Kind regards,
IAMO Forum 2025 Organizing Committee
Mailing_Call for Submissions_ISQOLS.pdf
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The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS)
Address: ISQOLS P.O. Box 118 Gilbert, Arizona, 85299, USA
Email: office@isqols.org
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