Member Login:
Well-being and mental health amid COVID-19: Differences in resilience across minorities and whites
Carol Graham, Yung Chun, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, and Stephen Roll Wednesday, June 24, 2020
https://www.brookings.edu/research/well-being-and-mental-health-amid-covid-19-differences-in-resilience-across-minorities-and-whites/
Call for Chapter Proposals Aug 20 .pdf
The aim of this book is to provide an overview and explore relationships between social (in)equality, community well-being and quality of life. As an area of accelerating interest, we seek to explore the connectivity of these three concepts. The book has four broad areas: Social (In)Equality: Social (in)equality is a highly relevant topic in the social sciences. Its definition, elements and characteristics, and causes and consequences vastly differ depending on the country and its context. The origins of the study of inequality include being grounded in anthropological studies where it is examined by comparing egalitarian versus inegalitarian relationships and societal structures. In general, social inequality refers to relational processes in society that have the effect of limiting or harming a group or community's social status, social class, and social circle. It may emerge through a society's understanding of appropriate gender roles, or through the prevalence of social stereotyping. In many cases, social inequalities exist between differing racial, ethnic or religious groups, classes and countries, making the concept of social inequality a global phenomenon. Situations are exacerbated given the pandemic which has brought to light underlying inequities and structural barriers to fostering social equality. Social inequalities are also deepening for vulnerable populations in countries with weaker health systems and those facing existing humanitarian crises. Global social justice movements focusing on racial and ethnic inequalities as exemplified by the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States to the pressing need for recognition of indigenous rights globally highlight systemic community ill-being and inequalities. Refugees and migrants, as well as indigenous peoples, older persons, people with disabilities and children are particularly at risk of being left behind. Reducing inequalities and ensuring no one is left behind are integral to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as reflected in Goal 10: Reduce inequalities within and among nations in order to advance equity in social development as well as economic and environmental development. One of the objectives of this book is to explore the contextual perspective of the definition of social inequality, its characteristics, causes and consequences. Comparative scenarios between two or more different counties or regions are also welcome. Community Well-being: Community well-being continues to be of interest and is being included in a variety of studies across a range of disciplines. The definition, scope, characteristics and its importance are extensive depending again on the country and its context although there are some commonalities. Community well-being is the combination of social, economic, environmental, cultural, and political conditions identified by individuals and their communities as essential for them to flourish and fulfil their potential (Wiseman and Brasher, 2008). This book attempts to conceive the concept from a global perspective that captures diverse community and country experiences. We are open to any innovative community wellbeing approach that is practiced by organizations in a particular community at a small scale but may also have wider applications for regional and global learning. Topics about the measurement of community well-being across communities, regions, nations and political systems are important for international readers. Quality of Life: Quality of life is possibly one of the most trending issues of study currently. It is a multidimensional concept with a complex causality of the mutual bonds of its components (variables) that enable us to grasp, describe and measure the complexity of social and economic reality in the current period of late modernity (Murgaš and Klobučník, 2017). The major components of quality of life include health, material comforts, personal safety, relationships, learning, creative expression, opportunity to help and encourage others, participation in public affairs, socializing, and leisure. Quality of life has different panoramas and is inherently interdisciplinary bringing together interests from health and social sciences. Debate on whether the scope of this concept has universal acceptance heightens interest. It is also argued that many countries and organizations have developed specific indicators of quality of life, but the application of these indicators may not always fit context and overall socioeconomic, cultural and political conditions. This book will explore such contextual perspectives of quality of life with appropriate contextual examples. We will also seek to provide discussion of the connections and differences between global indicators of quality of life and how countries’ quality-of-life index varies. Connecting Social (in)equality, community well-being and quality of life: We seek chapters on the relationship between social (in)equality, community well-being and quality of life. Social equality is an important term for social well-being and for influencing quality of life and viceversa. Though there is not definitive clarity about this relationship, it emerges as an important issue adjacent to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Literature shows that social inequality has a vital influence on achieving community well-being, which in turn impacts quality of life. Exploring these relationships will provide insights for academics, researchers, policy makers and development practitioners. Timeline and Process Chapter Proposal submission date: October 30, 2020 Full paper submission date: January 15, 2021 Tentative publication date: Fall 2021 We are pleased to invite scholars, researchers, policy makers, environment and social scientists and specialists to contribute a chapter on the above title/subject. The first step is to submit an abstract for your proposed chapter by October 30, 2020. Please note proposals and chapters submitted will undergo peer review. Send your abstract of no more than 400 words along with three to five keywords and a short bio of the author(s). Send to rezauldu@gmail.com and cc to rphillips@purdue.edu and pkraeger@georgiasouthern.edu. Edited by: M. Rezaul Islam, Ph.D., University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, rezauldu@gmail.com Patsy Kraeger, Ph.D., Georgia Southern University, USA, pkraeger@georgiasouthern.edu Rhonda Phillips, Ph.D., Purdue University, USA, rphillips@purdue.edu
Dear Sir/Madam
I write to inform you as a member of ISQoLS that a new book (below) authored by myself and Prof Boehnke (Germany) is out. It is an open access book. It should be placed in the ISQoLS news. Thank you.
Idemudia, E. S. & Boehnke, K. (2020). Psychosocial experiences of African migrants in six European countries. A mixed method study. Springer Nature. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-48347-0
Prof ES Idemudia
Our most recent publications:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673843.2020.1779762
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/AKUQESE9HBTXVF8VHS4K/full?target=10.1080/14330237.2020.1712805
Erhabor S. IDEMUDIA, (M Sc., PhD Clinical Psych; B Sc (Hons) Psych); FNPA, FWCP; FNACP.
Professor of Research (Social Science Cluster)
Faculty of the Human Sciences, North-West University (MC), Private Bag X2046, Mmbatho, 2735, South Africa.
erhabor.idemudia@nwu.ac.za
Physical/Courier Address:
Building A6, (Great Hall), Rm G 03,
North-West University (Mafikeng),
Albert Luthuli/University Drive,
Mmabatho 2735, South Africa
Phone: +27-18-389-2899/ Cell: +27-72-795-3933/
Visiting Professor, Jacobs University, Bremen.
s.idemudia@jacobs-university.de
+49.1521.0357.124
Visiting Scholar, Department of Psychology, Semel Institute, UCLA, USA
Visiting Professor, Covenant University, Nigeria
Fellow/Alumnus, AvH Foundation, Germany
NRF Established Rated Scientist, RSA
2015 Georg-Forster Life-Time Achievement Awardee
Dear Colleagues,
A member of your society, I would like to inform you that I am organizing a one-day scientific symposiumconference on 2020 VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM ON CHILDREN’S WELL-BEING (IN GREEK), 12 AUGUST 2020, 11 AM –2 PM EEST. SUBJECT: “CHILDREN’S WELL-BEING AND PERSPECTIVES ON ITS ENHANCEMENT"- (please see attachments). I would also like to ask whether it would be possible attachments to pass the to the society’s membership. My thinking is that some might find it attractive and relevant to their research interests. http://www.childrenwelfaresm.com/en/events My kindest regards, Leriou Eirini
C.W. - SMILE _ Invitation to attend (1).pdf
July 2020 ISQOLS News -- check your inbox or read it here! VERY important updates regarding our upcoming Virtual Conference : https://conta.cc/2Er2GVm
David Bartram
Researchers investigating the relationship between age and life satisfaction have produced conflicting answers, via disputes over whether to include individual-level control variables in regression models. Most scholars believe there is a ‘U-shaped’ relationship, with life satisfaction falling towards middle age and subsequently rising. This position emerges mainly in research that uses control variables (for example, for income and marital status). This approach is incorrect. Regression models should control only ‘confounding’ variables; that is, variables that are causally prior to the dependent variable and the core independent variable of interest. Other individual-level variables cannot determine one’s age; they are not confounders and should not be controlled. This article applies these points to data from the World Values Survey. A key finding is that there is at best a negligible post-middle-age rise in life satisfaction – and the important implication is that there cannot then be a U-shaped relationship between age and life satisfaction.
Read more: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0038038520926871
Call for Papers for the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies Sponsored Session at the Community Indicators Consortium 2020 Virtual Impact Summit
August 3-7, 2020
The Community Indicators Consortium 2020 Virtual Impact Summit will showcase how data and community indicators are or can be used to foster opportunity, catalyze change and advance community resilience.
ISQOLS is seeking to sponsor a session with a series of presentations on measures of Quality-of-Life from an academic perspective. Professional practitioners within the Community Indicators Consortium are interested in hearing about new or promising QOL indicators supported by quality research, where the correlations between the indicator(s) and overall quality-of-life, including sustainability and wellbeing, are strong, as well as insight on how apply these indices in a real-world setting.
ISQOLS will sponsor the conference fees for accepted presenters.
We are seeking a session chair as well as 4 presenters for this session.
Please send a 350-word abstract to office@isqols.org by July 3rd.
The Importance Life and Job Satisfaction
By Jonathan H. Westover, Ph.D.
Utah Valley University
Human Capital Innovations, LLC
The level of satisfaction that workers feel and obtain through work is directly correlated to their overall sense of life satisfaction, which leads to a variety of positive individual, organizational, and societal outcomes (Böckerman & Ilmakunnas, 2012; Petty et al. 1984).
As Buetell (2006) argues, “Life satisfaction is an overall assessment of feelings and attitudes about one’s life at a particular point in time, ranging from negative to positive.” Happiness or life satisfaction is the degree to which an individual determines the overall quality of his/her life (Life Satisfaction). As Diener et al. note (1985), “three separate components of subjective well-being have been identified: positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction” (71). Pavot and Diener (1990) also state, “Life satisfaction refers to a judgmental process. In which individuals assess the quality of their lives on the basis of their own unique set of criteria” (164). Additionally, the positive or negative view that we have on our own lives has substantial impact on each of us (Yamasaki et al. 2011).
For years, economists and social scientists have used gross domestic product (GDP) as the standard metric for measuring the success and health of a country (e.g., Snyder 1936; How Do We Measure ‘Standard of Living’ 2015). However, GDP falls quite short in measuring the social wellness of a country because it fails to take into account subjective well-being in response to economic activity in a country (Easterlin 1974). Measures of subjective well-being can only be gathered through surveying/interviewing individuals about their own unique feelings towards their life and circumstance.
Figure 1: Global Comparison Life Satisfaction, 2014
Source: World Values Survey
Figure 2: Global Comparison Job Satisfaction, 2015
Source: International Social Survey Programme
Based on extensive research into work and life satisfaction, it is clear that various intrinsic and extrinsic motivators in the workplace environment have a significant impact on improving the overall job satisfaction of workers, as well as the life satisfaction of citizens in a country (Westover, 2016). Extrinsic and Intrinsic factors of motivation can play a key role in predicting the overall level of job satisfaction in a country because they help determine why and how an employee is driven and finds meaning and value in work. This is consistent with the findings of many studies that show there is a direct correlation between employee motivation and satisfaction, which in turn increases employee performance (e.g., Tietjen et al. 1998; Locke et al. 1990; Roos et al. 2008).
While we see different countries involved in the World Values Survey and the International Social Survey Programme, from the figures above, we can see that the countries with the highest job satisfaction also have the highest life satisfaction. In regards to job satisfaction, additional research has shown that in countries where employees most frequently mention extrinsic factors as important aspects of a job have a lower job and life satisfaction, whereas in countries where most workers frequently mention intrinsic factors as important aspects of a job have a higher job and life satisfaction (Westover, 2016).
The brief results presented and referenced herein can be used by businesses and corporations in order to help increase employee motivation, job satisfaction, and employee life satisfaction by identifying and making changes to the different extrinsic and intrinsic motivators within their workplace environment. This insight can also be usitlized by government employees and policy makers in order to determine the best and worst causes and effects of certain public policy implementations on life satisfaction and worker satisfaction.
References:
Böckerman, P., & Ilmakunnas, P. (2012). “The Job Satisfaction-Productivity Nexus: A Study Using Matched Survey and Register Data.” ILR Review 65 (2): 244–62. doi:10.1177/001979391206500203.
BostonFed. How Do We Measure ‘Standard of Living.’ Accessed May 17, 2016. https://www.bostonfed.org/-/media/Documents/ledger/ledger2003/measure.pdf
Buetell, N. (2006). Life satisfaction, a Sloan Work and Family Encyclopedia entry. Retrieved May 10, 2007, from the Sloan Work and Family Research Network website: http://wfnetwork.bc.edu.
Diener, E. D., Robert A. Emmons, Randy J. Larsen, & Sharon Griffin. (1985). “The Satisfaction with Life Scale.” Journal of Personality Assessment 49 (1): 71–5.
Easterlin, R. A. (1974). “Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? Some Empirical Evidence.” In Nations and Households in Economic Growth, edited by P. A. David and M. W. Reder, 89–125. Philadelphia: Elsevier.
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P.. (1990). “Work Motivation and Satisfaction: Light at the End of the Tunnel.” Psychological Science 1 (4): 240–6. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.1990.tb00207.x.
Snyder, C. (1936). “The Capital Supply and National Well-Being.” The American Economic Review 26 (2): 195–224.
Pavot, W., Diener, E. D., & Fujita, F. (1990). Extraversion and happiness. Personality and individual differences, 11(12), 1299-1306.
Petty, M. M., Mcgee, G. W., & Cavender, J. W. (1984). “A Meta-Analysis of the Relationships between Individual Job Satisfaction and Individual Performance.” The Academy of Management Review 9 (4): 712–21. doi:10.2307/258493.
Roos, W., & Eeden, R. V.. (2008). “The Relationship between Employee Motivation, Job Satisfaction and Corporate Culture.” SA Journal of Industrial Psychology 34 (1): 54–63. doi:10.4102/sajip.v34i1.420.
Tietjen, M. A., & Myers, R. M. (1998). “Motivation and Job Satisfaction.” Management Decision 36 (4): 226–31. doi:10.1108/ 00251749810211027.
Westover, J. .H. (2016). “The International Political Economy of Worker Satisfaction: A Cross-national HLM Analysis.” Evidence-based HRM: A Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship 4 (3): 116-143.
Yamasaki, K., Sasaki, M., Uchida, K., & Katsuma, L. (2011). “Effects of Positive and Negative Affect and Emotional Suppression on Short-term Life Satisfaction.” Psychology, Health & Medicine 16 (3): 313–22. doi:10.1080/13548506.2011.554564.
*This is adapted from an article originally published in The Global Studies Journal. For full article see: Eskildsen, B., Light, J. Westover, J.H., & Carlisle, K. (2017). "Shifting Comparative Job and Life Satisfaction across the Globe, 1995–2014." The Global Studies Journal 10 (2): 21-39. doi:10.18848/1835-4432/CGP/v10i02/21-39.
Author Bio: Jonathan H. Westover (Ph.D., University of Utah, USA) is an Associate Professor of Organizational Leadership and department chair in the Woodbury School of Business (UVU), Academic Director of the UVU Center for Social Impact and the UVU SIMLab, and Faculty Fellow for Ethics in Public Life (previously the Associate Director) in the Center for the Study of Ethics. He also is an experienced OD/HR/Leadership consultant (Human Capital Innovations, LLC), with experience transforming organizations across the globe. Dr. Westover has been published widely in academic journals, books, magazines, and in popular and professional media locally, nationally, and abroad (such as Forbes, The Economist, U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and USA Today). He has also been extensively quoted and cited as a management expert in popular press nationally and abroad.
Teaching Quality of Life in Different Domains
Editors: Tonon, Graciela (Ed.)
Social Indicators Research Series 79- Springer © 2020
The aim of this book is to present proposals to teach quality of life in different field. It is organized in 15 chapters, each of them dedicated to different fields.
In Chapter 1 the editor presents the proposition of quality of life (theoretical/methodological) as a possibility to construct a new outlook on the social field studies and to propose a course that includes the vision of quality of life in a Master/PhD Program in Social Sciences. In Chapter 2, Dan Weijers discusses the methods, topics, and perspectives that characterize a philosophical approach to teaching well-being or quality of life and concludes with some suggestions on how to harness the subject matter in a way that creates an engaging undergraduate-level course on well-being and quality of life.Tobia Fattore in Chapter 3 examines different ways in which well-being and quality of life can be used as pedagogical concepts for teaching Sociology. The chapter begins with a first overview of key philosophical traditions in quality-of-life research for introducing some foundational sociological theories and ways of undertaking social research. In Chapter 4, Daniel T. L. Shek, Xiaoqin Zhu, Diya Dou, Moon Y.M. Law, Lu Yu, Cecilia M.S. Ma, and Li Lin present two programs in response to the results of the research studies that showed worsening mental health conditions such as rising depression and suicidal rates, the increase of adolescent egocentrism, and the declined of empathy and sense of social responsibility among university students. To promote holistic development and quality of life in undergraduate students, two credit-bearing leadership subjects were presented. Chapter 5 is dedicated to the teaching of quality of life in relation with the capability approach. Paul Anand offers new insights into how the capability approach can now make a systematic and transformative contribution to higher education teaching focused on quality of life. In Chapter 6, written by Takashi Inoguchi, the author describes how political science courses on quality of life may be organized with a syllabus that consists of the following six sections: people’s satisfaction with daily life, people’s approval of government conducts especially economic policy, parents’ propensity to nurture their children norms and values, QOL and confidence in institutions, QOL-based societal profiling or typology of Asian societies, and Applying QOL studies in Sustainable Development Goals. Don R. Rahtz, M. Joseph Sirgy, Stephan Grzeskowiak, and Dong-Jin Lee examine in Chapter 7 different ways in which quality-of-life concepts can be integrated into existing marketing coursework. The ultimate goal is to increase the likelihood that students would embrace a QOL orientation in the practice of marketing. The final section ends with a set of suggestions for moving the acceptance of the broader use of QOL-related concepts in marketing departments, the business academy. Chapter 8 was written by Filomena Maggino who presents the case of a post-master program dedicated to the training of statisticians in the field of quality of life. In Chapter 9, Jon Hall comments how statisticians, economists, and policy makers around the world are working to design and use alternative measures of human progress. This chapter discusses some of the ways in which education and training can foster and support this work. In Chapter 10, Jorge Guardiola proposes Nonviolent Economics as a path for achieving quality of life, presenting an experience of addressing quality of life in an Economic Policy course. Matías Popovsky in Chapter 11 presents the importance of teaching quality of life using online education, which means conducting a course partially or entirely through the Internet and presents a model for online courses and degree programs. Javier Martinez in Chapter 12 presents an approach for teaching and learning quality of life in urban studies. It is contextualized within two higher education courses in an MSc specialization on Urban Planning and Management with a group of international students in the last 10 years. Chapter 13 is dedicated on the teaching of quality of life and well-being in Public Health. Chelsea Wesner, Diana Feldhacker, and Whitney Lucas Molitor propose the social ecological model of health as an organizing framework, considering that it is an innovative and integrated approach to teaching that aims to create quality learning experiences. Chapter 14 by Diane E. Mack, Philip M. Wilson, Caitlin Kelley, and Jennifer Mooradian presents how to teach well-being within the context of sports through four evidence-based modules. At the end the chater focuses on distinct groups of athletes including sport participants living with physical and intellectual disabilities, athletes undergoing injury rehabilitation, and current/former athletes transitioning beyond sport. Finally in Chapter 15, Sabirah Adams, Shazly Savahl, Maria Florence, Kyle Jackson, Donnay Manuel, Mulalo Mpilo, and Deborah Isobell aim to briefly sketch the extent of quality-of-life research relating to children in South Africa and to propose a syllabus for training emerging researchers in conducting QoL research.
Colleagues,
A grant study (Carroll et al., 2020) with a control group was just published under the Journal of Behavioral Medicine . Quality-of-Life-Therapy was used to improve positive emotions among patients with cardio-implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). This is the 3rd grant-supported study with a control group (Rodrigue, Baz et al. 2005, Rodrigue, Mandel, et al. 2005). Quality-of-Life-Therapy meets the clinical psychology criteria summarized by Kazdin for an evidence-based intervention (Frisch, 2016), and Seligman agrees: it has “good empirical validation” (Seligman, 2011; Rashid and Seligman, 2014). The three grant studies provide data in support of the sensitivity to treatment-related changes on the part of the Quality-of-Life-Inventory.
Mike
Download here:
J Behav Med.pdf
Frisch 2016.pdf
References
Abedi, M.R. and Vostanis, P. (2010). Evaluation of Quality of Life Therapy for parents of children with obsessive-compulsive disorders in Iran. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Carroll, A.J., Christon, L.M., Rodrigue, J.R., Fava, J.L., Frisch, M.B, & Serber, E.R. (2020). Implementation, feasibility, and acceptability of Quality-of-Life-Therapy to improve positive emotions among patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Journal of Behavior Medicine, in press and online 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-020-00153-2 .
Clark, D.A. (2006). Foreword. In M.B. Frisch, Quality-of-Life-Therapy (pp. xi-x). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Frisch, M. B. (2006). Quality-of-Life-Therapy. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Frisch, M.B. (2009). Quality-of-Life-Inventory Handbook: A Guide for Laypersons, Clients, and Coaches. Minneapolis, MN: NCS Pearson and Pearson Assessments.
Frisch, M.B. (2016), Quality-of-Life-Therapy, In A.M. Wood and J. Johnson (Eds.), The Wiley Handbook of Positive Clinical Psychology, New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Frisch, M. B., Clark, M. P., Rouse, S. V., Rudd, M. D., Paweleck, J., & Greenstone, A. (2005). Predictive and treatment validity of life satisfaction and the Quality-of-Life-Inventory. Assessment, 12, 66–78.
Kazdin, A. E. (2006). Arbitrary metrics: Implications for identifying evidence-based treatments. American Psychologist, 61(1), 42-49.
Land, K. C. (2006). Quality of Life Therapy for All!: A review of Frisch’s approach to positive psychology, Quality of Life Therapy. SINET (Social Indicators Network News), 85, 1-4.
Rashid, T. and Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Positive psychotherapy. In D. Wedding and R. Corsini (Eds.). Current Psychotherapies (10th Ed.)..
Rodrigue, J.R. Mandelbrot, D.A., and Pavlakis, M. (2011). A psychological intervention to improve quality of life and reduce psychological distress in adults awaiting kidney transplantation. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, 26(2): 709-715.
Rodrigue, J.R., Widows, M.R., & Baz, M.A. (2006). Caregivers of patients awaiting lung transplantation: Do they benefit when the patient is receiving psychological services, Progress in Transplantation, 16, 336-342.
Rodrigue, J. R., Baz, M.A., Widows, M.R. , & Ehlers, S.L. (2005). “A Randomized Evaluation of Quality of Life Therapy with Patients Awaiting Lung Transplantation”. American Journal of Transplantation, 5, 2425-2432.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish. New York: Free Press.
___________________________________________________
Mike Frisch
Retired Professor of Psychology
Baylor University
Website: http://sites.baylor.edu/michael_b_frisch
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS)
Address: ISQOLS P.O. Box 118 Gilbert, Arizona, 85299, USA
Email: office@isqols.org