Demi Patsios, Marco Pomati, and Paddy Hillyard
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781447334224
- eISBN:
- 9781447334309
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447334224.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
This chapter provides an overview of a conceptual framework and analytical tool for measuring UK living standards (UK-LS). It aims to supplement and complement B-SEM and PSE poverty and social ...
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This chapter provides an overview of a conceptual framework and analytical tool for measuring UK living standards (UK-LS). It aims to supplement and complement B-SEM and PSE poverty and social exclusion measures by combining objective indicators of living conditions (resources) and subjective assessments of those living conditions (outcomes) falling into eleven dimensions under three overarching domains: ‘what we have’, ‘what we do’, and ‘where we live’. Descriptive and exploratory analyses using selected examples of ‘what we have’ domain reveals that individuals with varying levels of ‘resources’ (ie. income, wealth, material goods etc) differ on objective and subjective ‘outcomes’ of living standards within and across living standards dimensions. We conclude that multidimensional indicators of living standards can provide a supplementary and complementary evidence base to inform policy and research by expanding focus beyond those traditionally considered poor or socially excluded for those higher up the range of living standards. However, in order for the conceptual model and analytical framework to be useful, potential users must be clear about resources versus outcomes when seeking to uncover the complex interactions (and associations) between objective and subjective indicators of living standards and equally important the purpose for which the UK-LS analytical framework is being used.Less
This chapter provides an overview of a conceptual framework and analytical tool for measuring UK living standards (UK-LS). It aims to supplement and complement B-SEM and PSE poverty and social exclusion measures by combining objective indicators of living conditions (resources) and subjective assessments of those living conditions (outcomes) falling into eleven dimensions under three overarching domains: ‘what we have’, ‘what we do’, and ‘where we live’. Descriptive and exploratory analyses using selected examples of ‘what we have’ domain reveals that individuals with varying levels of ‘resources’ (ie. income, wealth, material goods etc) differ on objective and subjective ‘outcomes’ of living standards within and across living standards dimensions. We conclude that multidimensional indicators of living standards can provide a supplementary and complementary evidence base to inform policy and research by expanding focus beyond those traditionally considered poor or socially excluded for those higher up the range of living standards. However, in order for the conceptual model and analytical framework to be useful, potential users must be clear about resources versus outcomes when seeking to uncover the complex interactions (and associations) between objective and subjective indicators of living standards and equally important the purpose for which the UK-LS analytical framework is being used.
