The outcome of the first Italian National Conference on Quality of Life,
this volume is full of cogent analysis of topics and issues related to
well being and quality of life, including focused papers on specific
population groupings and discrete themes. Held in Florence in September
2010, the conference saw the creation of the Italian Association of
Quality of Life Studies, devised as a forum for this varied field of
research with a rapidly expanding profile in the context of the
continuing financial crisis. The papers address a number of recognized
quality-of-life concerns, including public health, wealth distribution,
employment, political participation and the perception of crime.
Contributors deploy innovative methods of analyzing official statistics
that result in more complex and multidimensional indicators. Some papers
provide data on other European nations that allow for comparative
assessment, while others set out fresh approaches to evaluating quality
of life itself. Highly relevant not just to academics, but to policy
makers and practitioners in a range of sectors, this publication
explores important aspects of a crucial contemporary subject.