Theoretical Approaches and Methodological Issues of Life Quality Research in Human Sciences

Abstract

The This paper presents an analysis of different perspectives on quality of life as a multidisciplinary research topic. The theoretical review presents the problem of content of the concept “quality of life” concept in human sciences. The gGiven category is difficult to characterize with one definition, as it is a rather broad concept that allows various theoretical interpretations. In classical studies quality of life is usually associated with objective factors, such as physical health, economic well-being, various external circumstances and conditions of life, etc. Economy, sociology, and medicine deal mostly with “quantity”, not “quality”, of good life. Most instruments of measuring quality of life are focused on the external sides of human life, forgetting about inner factors. Other researchers associate quality of life with subjective satisfaction with health, leisure time, income, work, etc., but don’t take into account the meaning and significance of these fields to for personality. Though such theories were the dominative basis of the understanding of well-being of persons and societies for long many decades, other researchers admit that quality of life as a subjective value depends on individual perception of life and meaningful attitude towards it. Recently, the research emphasis in psychology has been shifting towards the subjective parameters of life, and the category of subjective quality of life was introduced as an integral concept for the subjective basis of psychological well-being. Subjective approach to quality of life seems a promising research direction, but needs more theoretical and empirical support.