Advancing Quality of Life in a Turbulent World

Environmentalissuescontinuedtoloomlargeinthelastdecadeofthetwentiethc- tury,especiallyenvironmentalproblemsrelatedtorisinglevelsofCO emissionsand 2 other greenhouse gases on the planet's average temperatures and, subsequently, storm patterns. Floods and droughts, in combination with unseasonably high and low temperatures became the norm rather than the exception for large expanses of Africa,Asia and Oceania. Even large areas of Europe and NorthAmerica were s- jected to recurrent floods and droughts and experienced unseasonable extremes of hot and cold temperatures associated with man-made intrusions into the natural environment. And,still,aglobalplanofactiontohaltman-relatedpatternsofdef- estation, desertification, and over-fishing of the seas has yet to come into being. At the same time, the number of regional conflicts and civil wars increased and, with them, the lives of many women, children, old people and other n- combatants were lost in these conflicts. Increasingly, regional wars and conflicts had less to do with disputes over land or other natural resources but more with the differing social, political and religious identifications of the people engaged in these conflicts. Warnings of genocide and near-genocide conditions were commonly proclaimed to the world community but, sadly, the planet's inter- tional security apparatus proved to be largely ineffective in containing many of the worst of these atrocities. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people, ev- tually millions, died while awaiting assistance from the global community to bring an end to their suffering.

Tackles some of the most fundamental themes that challenge life quality throughout the world: globalization, population mobility, the political transformation of an increasingly larger number of societies toward democracies Lends itself to use as a supplementary text in many social science courses (sociology, international development, political science, etc.)

Autorentext
M. Joseph Sirgy is a management psychologist (Ph.D., U. Massachusetts, 1979) and Virginia Tech Real Estate Professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). He has published extensively in the area of well-being and quality of life (QOL). He is the author/editor of many books related to quality of life. He co-founded the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) in 1995, served as its Executive Director/Treasurer from 1995 to 2011 and as Development Director (2011-17). In 1998, he received the Distinguished Fellow Award from ISQOLS. In 2003, ISQOLS honored him as the Distinguished QOL Researcher for research excellence and a record of lifetime achievement in QOL research. In 2010, ISQOLS honored him for excellence and lifetime service to the society. In 2012 he was awarded the EuroMed Management Research Award for outstanding achievements and groundbreaking contributions to well-being and quality-of-life research. Richard J. Estes, Professor of Social Work and Social Policy, University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice, Philadelphia, A.B., La Salle University (Philadelphia); Master of Social Work, University of Pennsylvania; Doctor of Social Welfare, University of California at Berkeley; and post-master's Certificate in Psychiatric Social Work, the Menninger Foundation, Topeka, Kansas. Dr. Estes specializes in international and comparative social welfare, social policy, and social development. His books include The Social Progress of Nations, 1984; Trends in World Social Development, 1988; Health Care and the Social Services,1984; Towards a Social Development Strategy for the Asia and Pacific Region (with Edward Van Roy), 1992; Social Development in Hong Kong: The Unfinished Agenda, 2005; The Medical, Legal and Social Science Aspects of Child Sexual Exploitation (with Sharon Cooper and others), 2005, 2007; Advancing Quality of Life in a Turbulent World, 2007; and, Islamic Social Progress: Social, Political, Economic, and Ideological Challenges (with Habib Tiliouine, University of Oran, Algeria), Dordrecht NL: Springer, in preparation 2015; The Pursuit of Human Well-Being: The Untold Global History (with M. Joseph Sirgy, Virginia Tech), Dordrecht NL: Springer(2015); and Advances in Well-Being: Towards a Better World (London: Rowman & Littlefield International (with M. Joseph Sirgy)).Don R. Rahtz (Ph.D., Virginia Tech 1984) is the J. S. Professor of Marketing, Raymond A. Mason School of Business, William and Mary (USA). His expertise is in integrated marketing communication programs, marketing research, survey methodology, analysis, and market assessment. He has had a particular interest in environmental issues, economic sustainable development, transitional economies, business/community interface evaluation, and health systems. He has traveled and worked extensively in the South Asia and Southeast Asian areas with a particular focus on Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Professor Rahtz has conducted a variety of workshops and seminars, and acted as a consultant to businesses in both the public and private sectors concerning the above topics, both in the United States and abroad. In addition, he has produced a number of publications regarding these topics that have appeared books, academic journals, and the popular press. He has been active in promoting the Quality of Life (QOL) field of study in a variety of disciplines and is a founding member of the International Society for Quality of Life Studies (ISQOLS).El-Sayed El-Aswad is currently professor of anthropology at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). He served as Chairperson of Sociology Department (2012-2014) at the UAEU. He received his doctorate degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Research interest: Cultural and Social Anthropology, Muslim Thought & Worldview, Religion & Cosmology, Sufisim, Symbolism, Social & cultural

Inhalt
Regional and National Perspectives on Advancing Quality of Life.- How Does European Union Enlargement Affect Social Cohesion?.- Promoting Well-Being: A British Perspective.- Importance and Satisfaction With Life Domains in Croatia: Representative Sample.- Advancing Quality of Life in Selected Sectors.- Commuting and Quality of Life: The Italian Case.- An Alternative Measure of Years of Healthy Life.- Analyzing Sustainable Wealth Indicators for Evaluating the Contribution of a Regional Industrial Sector Toward Quality of Life and Sustainable Development.- Fuel Sources and Well-Being in the Marshall Islands.- Spirituality as a Robust Empirical Predictor of Psychosocial Outcomes: A Cross-Cultural Analysis.- Hope and Spirituality in the Age of Anxiety.- Advancing Quality of Life for Selected Population Groups.- Communitarian versus Individualistic Arrangements in the Family: What and Whose Income Matters for Happiness?.- Socioeconomic Inequality and Inequalities in Health Among Kibbutz Elderly.- Life Satisfaction Crossover Among Couples.- Migrant Family Adaptation and Quality of Life: A Qualitative Study in Brazil.