Research project A life course perspective on multidimensional well-being for five European countr
The project “A life course and microsimulation perspective on multidimensional well-being in five European countries” will strengthen existing data sources and develop studies on well-being. This will be done by building capacity in modeling methods, expanding knowledge on well-being research, and developing new collaborations and partnerships.
Well-being is a multidimensional concept that spans different life domains and time periods and
influenced by different determinants over the life course. By using dynamic microsimulation methods, this project intends to contribute to strengthening existing data sources and develop studies on well-being.
The project will analyze the links between individual well-being and several aspects of life – including work, family and health. These will also be integrated together in a dynamic microsimulation model. This model will generate complete life course trajectories from existing survey data.
With this microsimulation model, the researchers will analyze the dynamic distribution of well-being over the life course in five European countries, which are part of different welfare regime types: Germany (conservative), UK (liberal), Spain (Southern European), Poland (post-communist)
and Sweden (Nordic).
Project description
Well-being is a multi-dimensional concept that spans a variety of life domains and time scales, affected by
variable determinants across the life course. As such, it eludes simple analytical frameworks, and calls for an
integrated perspective. Data limitations, however, significantly constrain empirical analyses. The relationship
between subjective and objective measures of well-being is also difficult to analyse in the absence of
retrospective information on individual histories and prospective information reflecting expectations for the
future, all of which bear upon a broad interpretation of well-being.
Against this background, we propose a step-change in the analysis of well-being by using dynamic
microsimulation methods to augment existing data sources. Preliminary analysis of interrelationships between individual well-being and multiple life domains – including work, family, and health – will be of stand-alone interest, in addition to forming the basis for integrating measures of well-being in a state-of-the-art dynamic microsimulation model. The new model will allow us to generate in silico complete life-course trajectories from existing survey data.
The researchers propose to use their innovative microsimulation approach to analyse the distributional dynamics of well-being over the life course for five European countries, reflective of diverse welfare regimes: Germany (conservative), United Kingdom (liberal), Spain (Mediterranean), Poland (post-C ommunist) and Sweden (Nordic). Analysis will explore how well-being is affected by aggregate and individual crises, distinguishing between personal shocks, and macro-economic events. A key focus of research interest will be the efficacy of policy interventions designed to enhance the resilience of individual and social well-being to considered crises.
The project will build capacity in modelling methods, enhance expertise in wellbeing research and develop new collaborations and partnerships.
Project members
Project managers
Mikael Rostila
Professor
Members
Agneta Cederström
Forskare
More about this project
Project Leaders:
Partner 1
Matteo Richiardi, Professor of Economics and Director, Centre for Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis, University of Essex, United Kingdom
Partner 2
Concepció Patxot, Full Professor, Economics Department, University of Barcelona, Spain
Partner 3
Mikael Rostila, Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
Partner 4
Michal Brzezinski, Dr., Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, Poland
Partner 5
Kerstin Bruckmeier, Dr., Research Group "Basic Income and the Labour Market", Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Germany
Associate partners:
- Myroslav Pidkuyko, Research Economist, Microeconomic Studies Division, Banco de Espana, Spain
- Marta Curto Grau, Director General, Economic Analysis and Foresight, Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d'Economia i Hisenda, Spain
- Lluis Torrens Melich, Secretary of Social Affairs and Families, Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Drets Socials, Spain
- Gunnar Bjursell, Professor Emerritus and Director of the Center for Culture, Cognition and Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
- Alison Garnham, Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group, United Kingdom
- Nitya Jayaram-Lindstrom, Director of Centre for Psychiatric Research, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
- Matthew Greenwood, Head of Debt, Centre for Social Justice, United Kingdom
- Prof. Ryszard Szarfenberg, Chair of the Executive Board, European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) – Poland, Poland
- Emma Congreve, Deputy Director, Fraser of Allander Institute, United Kingdom
- Johanna Ahnquist, Head of the Unit of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Swedish Public Health Agency, Sweden
- Stephan Schmid, Head of Division, Basic Issues of Labour Market Policy, Labour Market Research, Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Germany
- David Finch, Assistant Director, Healthy Lives, The Health Foundation, United Kingdom
- Peter Matejic, Chief Analyst Joseph Rowntree Foundation, United Kingdom
- Katarzyna Anna Nawrot, Professor, Deputy Chair. Forecast Committee, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
- Wiktor Wojciechowski, Vice Director, Research and Innovation Department, Polish Ministry of Digitization, Poland
- Aveek Bhattacharya, Interim Director (Director of Research), Social Market Foundation, United Kingdom
- Ignacia Pinto, Senior Research and policy Officer, Women's Budget Group, United Kingdom