Quality of Life: Issues and Challenges
Subject – Development Economics (15 Marks)
The quality of life is a multidimensional and dynamic issue related to economic, social, political, environmental, and psychological factors.
So, the quality of life is said to be improved if the individual, household, or community has improved the economic, social, political, and environmental well-being, which is the ultimate objective of economic development.
The major issues related to quality of life are
- Economic issue: Economic opportunities such as business apps, job opportunities, investment opportunities, etc.
- Social issue: Social discrimination, social recognition and participation, flexible and transparent social value system, democratic and participatory social decision-making, mutual respect for culture, religion, language, etc.
- Political issue: Political freedom, political representation and participation, political stability and governance, and democratic practices in the political system.
- Environmental issues: Quality of water, sanitation, quality of air, pollution, greenery, climate change, global warming, etc.
- Psychological issues: Mental health, work-life balance, anxiety and frustration, mental wellness, and happiness.
These are the different aspects or dimensions of the quality of life that directly or indirectly affect it. For example, better economic opportunities provide higher incomes and help improve the quality of life.
Similarly, if the society is more flexible and respects each other without any discrimination, the quality of life is better in such a society. The political freedom and democratic practices help to secure the political rights, making the quality of life better.
If the environment is clean and fresh at both home and office, it improves the quality of life. Ultimately, the quality of life depends on the mental well-being, where the individual is not in frustration and able to have a better balance between work and life.