Youth Wellbeing in South Africa: What Dimensions Should We Measure?

Abstract

There is growing interest in the development of measures and indexes of youth wellbeing. However, there has been a limited discussion on indicators to measure and select them. This paper reports on the results of a qualitative study on the selection of indicators to measure the wellbeing of young people in South Africa, and reflects on the relevance of the content of their values in choosing indicators for measuring their wellbeing. The data used in this analysis is based on telephone (9) and email (6) interviews conducted with 15 young people (male=5, female=10) aged 22 to 32 from five South African cities during July 2010. In the interviews, participants were asked to identify five issues they considered important to their lives, after which they were asked to rank them in order of importance. The issues indicated by the participants are described and discussed in six dimensions: economic, relationships, spiritual and health, education, time use and material. The indicators developed from this study are discussed in terms of their relevance for use in a measure of youth wellbeing in South Africa.

Friends or foes? A theoretical approach towards constructivism, realism and students’ wellbeing via academic literacy practices

“…What the demands for curricula transformation and the crisis of student attrition in South African institutions of higher education indicate is that the well-being of our students is at risk, and perhaps, is also unhealthy. Given South Africa's recent, historical transition from an apartheid state to a democratic nation, universities as social institutions are expected to contribute towards the improvement of the lives of millions of citizens who hope to exit a life of poverty and improve their socioeconomic conditions as well as those of their families (Mac-Ikemenjima 2015). This study is therefore interested in how our research endeavours, as disciplinary practitioners and teachers in higher education, may be enhanced by applying ontological frameworks specifically aimed at highlighting the interplay between students' well-being and how they apply academic literacy conventions for educational success.…”