Satisfaction beyond Income
Lora, Eduardo; Chaparro, Camino
November 2008
Chapter 4 of the book Beyond Facts concentrates on life satisfaction in general to explore how it is affected by diverse factors, beyond income, and how the different dimensions of people's lives are reflected synthetically in their level of satisfaction. (pdf 266kb)

The Personality of Quality of Life Perceptions
Lora, Eduardo
November 2008
Chapter 2 of the book Beyond Facts examines the divergence of opinions in Latin America and the Caribbean about quality of live. The source of the wealth of opinions on the quality of life is not to be found either in the differences between countries or income groups, but rather in differences between individuals. (pdf 563kb)

The Conflictive Relationship between Income and Satisfaction
Lora, Eduardo; Chaparro, Camino
November 2008
Chapter 3 of the book Beyond Facts explores the relationship between income and satisfaction. Income is the variable by which progress of a country is most commonly measured. In accordance with conventional economic theory, each increase in income gives rise to more satisfaction, albeit in ever-decreasing quantities as needs become increasingly satiated. However, when these theoretical predictions are matched against the opinions of people all around the world, it becomes apparent that the relationship between income and satisfaction is more complex and less harmonious. (pdf 468kb)

Quality of Life Viewed through another Lens
Lora, Eduardo
November 2008
Chapter 1 of the book Beyond Facts focuses on the opinions that Latin Americans have of their own lives and of the situations in their countries. This approach stands in stark contrast to the traditional approach of economists, who have avoided the use of subjective data both for theoretical reasons and because of the practical difficulties of measuring and interpreting opinions. (pdf 154kb)

The People's Choice? The Role of Opinions in the Policymaking Process
Scartascini, Carlos; Funaro, Rita
November 2008
Chapter 9 of the book Beyond Facts examines how public opinion is formed and its impact on public policy, and also shows how policymakers' opinions may be affected by the information they receive and the way they process it. (pdf 231kb)

Getting a Pulse on Health Quality
Savedoff, William; Alfonso, Mariana; Duryea, Suzan
November 2008
The health of people in Latin America and the Caribbean has improved tremendously over the last 50 years along most dimensions and for almost every definable class or group, yet surveys show that people are sometimes dissatisfied with their health and chances for leading healthy lives. This chapter of the book Beyond Facts describes how objective health measures have evolved over time, explores how popular perceptions sometimes reflect and sometimes diverge from these objective measures, and considers the implications of these findings for public health policies. (pdf 728kb)

Rethinking Conventional Wisdom on Job Quality
Pagés, Carmen; Madrigal, Lucía
November 2008
Most people work 40 or more hours per week. It is not surprising, therefore, that working conditions greatly impact people's lives and that high job satisfaction is identified as one of the most important aspects of a fulfilling, highly satisfying life. Chapter 7 of the book Beyond Facts examines job quality in Latin America and the Caribbean (hereafter "Latin America") from two perspectives: a review of objective conditions commonly associated with good job quality, and a subjective assessment based on job satisfaction and the myriad factors that contribute to this satisfaction. (pdf 1029kb)

Urban Quality of Life: More than Bricks and Mortar
Lora, Eduardo; Powell, Andrew; Sanguinetti, Pablo
November 2008
Improving the quality of life in cities is no longer a simple matter of bricks and mortar. Although four out of five people in Latin America express satisfaction with their homes and with the situation of their cities, most acknowledge that their satisfaction would increase if other problems were resolved. Chapter 8 of the book Beyond Facts takes a closer look at some of most-pressing problems affecting quality of life in the region. (pdf 1748kb)

Learning about Education Quality and Perceptions
Duryea, Suzanne; Navarro, Juan Carlos; Verdisco, A
November 2008
Chapter 6 of the book Beyond Facts explores the relationship between the long-term evolution of education and quality of life in Latin America and the Caribbean. It begins with a review of the quantitative expansion of education across all countries of the region, emphasizing that such a significant change has had beneficial impacts on many spheres central to the enhancement of the quality of life. Then, the analysis turns to why the gains from quantitative expansion have been considerably less than expected, given the experiences in other parts of the world, which leads naturally to a discussion of the general but serious shortcomings in the quality of education across the region-a well-known fact and source of debate in recent years. (pdf 525kb)

Beyond Facts
Understanding Quality of Life
November 2008
Editor(s): Lora, Eduardo
ISBN: 9781597820844
Traditionally, the concept of quality of life has been viewed through objective indicators. Beyond Facts looks at quality of life through a new lens, namely, the perceptions of millions of Latin Americans. Using an enhanced version of the recently created Gallup World Poll that incorporates Latin America-specific questions, the Inter-American Development Bank surveyed people from throughout the region and found that perceptions of quality of life are often very different from the reality. These surprising findings have enormous significance for the political economy of the region and provide a wealth of information for policymakers and development practitioners to feast upon. (pdf 7249kb)