Indicators of Quality of Life in Latin America

This volume sheds new light on the use of quantitative, qualitative and synthetic indicators for the measurement of quality of life in different countries of Latin America. Organized in three parts, the book presents the methodology for the construction of new indicators, discusses quality of urban life from a geographical perspective, and examines quality of life of different populations. The book focuses on the social, economic, political, geographical and demographic dimensions. It covers a wide range of topics, including the ways to measure social, political and spatial inequalities, the changes in urban quality of life, the construction of a synthetic indicator for the assessment of habitability, the measuring of spatial segregation in midsize and smaller cities by using thematic cartography and synthesis maps, and the concept of habitability. It includes research conducted on the quality of life of different population groups: working boys and girls, high-school students, and older people.

This volume sheds new light on the use of quantitative, qualitative and synthetic indicators for the measurement of quality of life in different countries of Latin America. Organized in three parts, the book presents the methodology for the construction of new indicators, discusses quality of urban life from a geographical perspective, and examines quality of life of different populations. The book focuses on the social, economic, political, geographical and demographic dimensions. It covers a wide range of topics, including the ways to measure social, political and spatial inequalities, the changes in urban quality of life, the construction of a synthetic indicator for the assessment of habitability, the measuring of spatial segregation in midsize and smaller cities by using thematic cartography and synthesis maps, and the concept of habitability. It includes research conducted on the quality of life of different population groups: working boys and girls, high-school students, and older people.

PART I: METHODOLOGY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW INDICATORS.- 1 Measuring Quality of Life and Inequalities in South America - Graciela Tonon & Lía Rodriguez de la Vega.- 2 Quality of Life in Latin America: A Proposal of a Synthetic Indicator - Noelia Somarriba Arechavala & Pilar Zarzosa Espina.- 3 Geography and Quality of Life in Argentina. Regional and Departmental Analysis (2010) - Guillermo Velázquez.- 4 Life Quality for Health and Health for Life Quality in Latin America: A Spatial Approach - Adela Tisnes.- PART II : QUALITY OF URBAN LIFE.- 5 Spatial Segregation and Quality of Life: Empirical Analysis of Medium-sized Cities of Buenos Aires Province - Santiago Linares, Claudia A. Mikkelsen, Guillermo Velazquez & Juan Pablo Celemin.- 6 Diseconomies of Transportation and Urban Quality of Life: The Case of the Great Metropolitan Area (GMA) of Costa Rica - Arlette Pichardo-Muñiz.- 7 A Quantitative and Qualitative Review on Quality of Life in Minor Urban Areas at the Beginningof the 20th Century in Argentina - Claudia A. Mikkelsen.- 8. Evolution of Habitability Conditions in Mar del Plata Peri-urban (1991, 2001, 2011) - Laura Zulaica Rosana Ferraro.- 9 How are we today? Quality of Urban Life in Argentina. First Contributions from the Households Permanent Survey (2003-2012) - Patricia Iris Lucero, Sofía Estela Ares & Claudia A. Mikkelsen.- 10 Urban Quality of Life in Santa Fe province: Demographic, Social and Territorial Processes (1991-2010) - Néstor Javier Gómez.- 11. Mind the gap: Monitoring Quality of Life Inequalities, Case Study of Rosario - Javier Martinez.- PART III : QUALITY OF LIFE BY AGE-GROUPS.- 12. Quality of Life of High School Students in Caracas, Venezuela - Aquiles Perez Delgado.- 13 Subjective Wellbeing in México: The Importance of Social Support in a Collectivist Society - Beatriz Yasuko Arita Watanabe.- 14 Two Profiles of Child Labor in the Colombian Caribbean Coast: Relocated Children to Suburban Areas compared to the Key Role of Social and Labor Characteristics of Mothers in Urban Settings - Daniel Holgado, Isidro Maya-Jariego, Jorge Palacio & Óscar Oviedo-Trespalacios.- 15 Personal Wellbeing and Quality of Life among Older Adults - Fermina Rojo-Perez & Gloria Fernandez-Mayoralas.