Quality of life as a topic of geographic research: An overview of the development of interest and theoretical models of research

Abstract

Kvaliteta života složen je i višedimenzijski konstrukt, preširok da bi se mogao opisati jednostavno, stoga je nemoguće razviti jedinstvenu definiciju. Postizanje konsenzusa u definiranju kvalitete života svakako komplicira činjenica da se tim konceptom bavi niz disciplina. Geografija, ekonomija, medicina, sociologija, psihologija, antropologija, filozofija, marketing nalaze interes u proučavanju određenih aspekata kvalitete života. U moru pristupa proučavanju kvalitete života specifično geografski doprinos nije lako razaznati, tj. nije lako odrediti u kojim bi aspektima proučavanja kvalitete života geografski pristup mogao biti najplodniji. Cilj je ovoga rada pojasniti odlike geografskoga pristupa u proučavanju kvalitete života kroz raspravu o nastanku i razvoju interesa za tu problematiku u okviru geografije te kroz prikaz teorijskih modela istraživanja.Ključne riječi: geografska istraživanja, kvaliteta života, povijesni osvrt, teorijski modeli Quality of life is a multi-dimensional and complex construct, too broad to be described in simple terms, and, as a result, it is impossible to develop a single, universallyaccepted definition thereof. Reaching a consensus for a definition of quality of life is complicated by the fact that this concept is dealt with by a host of disciplines. Geography, economics, medicine, sociology, psychology, anthropology, philosophy, and marketing all find areas of interest in investigating certain aspects of quality of life. It is difficult to clarify the specific geographic contribution from the veritable sea of approaches to investigating quality of life, i.e. it is not easy to single out the aspects of investigation of quality of life for which the geographic approach could yield the best results. The goal of this paper is to clarify the qualities of the geographic approach in investigation of quality of life through discussion about the appearance and development of interest for this issue in the framework of geography, as well as by demonstrating theoretical models and classifications of research. UvodKvaliteta života složen je i višedimenzijski konstrukt, preširok da bi se mogao opisati jednostavno, stoga je nemoguće razviti jedinstvenu definiciju. Cummins (1999) je uspio izdvojiti više od sto definicija kvalitete života, što taj pojam čini jednim od najnedosljednije korištenih pojmova u humanističkim i društvenim znanostima (Cummins i dr., 2004). Definicije kvalitete života variraju u velikom rasponu: od općenitih, poput "stupanj onoga što život čini dobrim ili kvalitetnim" (Bowling, 1997) ili "nužni uvjeti za sreću" (McCall, 1975), do specifičnih, poput "poželjni rezultat politika i programa" (Schuessler i Fisher, 1985). Neki autori čak ističu besmislenost potrage za jedinstvenom konceptualizacijom s obzirom na neodređenost pojma i varijabilnost načina i perspektiva kroz koje se o njemu promišlja (Stover i Leven, 1992;Bowling, 2002). Izgleda da jedini zajednički nazivnik među mnogobrojnim znanstvenim konceptualizacijama kvalitete života jest činjenica da se u koncept kvalite...

Quality of Life as a Limiting Factor in the Development of the Region along the Great Bačka Canal (Serbia)

“…Considering the fact that quality of life is a complex concept [45], it is not possible to provide a single accurate definition [46]. Some of the definitions of this concept are more general, such as "the level of what makes life good or high quality" [47] or that it is the "necessary preconditions for happiness" [48]; meanwhile, others are more specific: "a quality way of life is the desired outcome of policies and programs" [49].…”

International Mobility and the Quality of Life of Foreign Students in the City of Zagreb / Međunarodna mobilnost i kvaliteta života stranih studenata u gradu Zagrebu

“…Confirmation of that is the Croatian Encyclopaedia (Hrvatska enciklopedija, n.d.), which states that "quality of life is a term used in different professions in different meanings. " Wish (1986), as cited by Slavuj Borčić and Šakaja (2017), concludes that the only common denominator among many scientific conceptualizations of quality of life is the fact that the concept of quality of life usually includes external situations or conditions that an individual perceives and then transforms into different levels of welfare.…”

“…Therefore, computer software is gaining an increasing role, especially Geographic Information Systems which facilitates the processing of large amounts of data and has become an important tool for most geographical measurements of quality of life. By introducing the spatial dimension into the analysis of the quality of life, it becomes easier to identify certain spatial regularities and, on that basis, to act within different professions or policies (Slavuj Borčić & Šakaja, 2017).…”