Media and research tend to focus on social problems in today’s world from terrorism and natural disasters to environmental degradation, conflict, and economic decline. Yet many countries are also placing the promotion of well-being at the heart of their social agenda. So what can we say about human progress and the development of civilization? This book considers the brighter side of our world today by exploring the ways in which well-being is on an upward swing globally.
Systematically considering indicators of human well-being in terms of economics, health, and education, alongside subjective notions of well-being, the book draws together research and data from around the world. It uses the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index as an underlying framework from which to examine the ways in which well-being has improved since WWII. Analyzing leading scholarship and empirical work allows the authors to determine policy recommendations for how we might continue to build a better world of human well-being.
