Wellbeing in Developing Countries: Community Profiles, 2003-2006

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.Wellbeing in Developing Countries is a series of studies which aim to develop a conceptual and methodological approach to understanding the social and cultural construction of wellbeing in developing countries. The Wellbeing in Developing Countries Research Group (WeD), based at the University of Bath, drew on knowledge and expertise from three different departments (Economics and International Development, Social and Policy Sciences and Psychology) as well as a network of overseas contacts. The international, interdisciplinary team formed a major programme of comparative research, focused on six communities in each of four countries: Ethiopia, Thailand, Peru and Bangladesh. All sites within the countries have been given anonymous site names, with the exception of Ethiopia where the team chose to follow an alternative locally agreed procedure on anonymisation. Data can be matched across studies using the HOUSEKEY (Site code and household number). The research raises fundamental questions both for the academic study of development, and for the policy community. The WeD arrived at the following definition of wellbeing through their research: "Wellbeing is a state of being with others, where human needs are met, where one can act meaningfully to pursue one's goals, and where one enjoys a satisfactory quality of life". Further information about the project can be found on the WeD website and the ESRC Award webpage.Wellbeing in Developing Countries: Community Profiles, 2003-2006 comprises 26 community profiles of each of the communities selected for study in the WeD research. A community profile is a detailed community study that has been carried out in each of the research communities using a range of participatory techniques including key informant interviews, observation, and secondary data. The community profiles are a systematic description of the context within which the people and processes being studied by WeD are located. They were an important stage in defining subsequent fieldwork phases. The community profiles were also treated as ‘living documents’ that were constantly updated and modified with additional data as the field work proceeded.Main Topics:The community profiles do not follow a consistent format, and therefore vary across the four countries. However they all include details on the following:physical description of the community (locating the site in space)historical background and key events (locating the site in time) people (population and demographics), languages, religion, social settlementmaterial resources (occupation, market, infrastructure, provision of government and non government services) natural resources and land use (water, livestock, forest, wildlife, crops) human resources and processes (education, migration, health) socio-political resources (social and political groups, local institutions, social stratification) cultural resources (traditions and beliefs, religious and non religious events)