Is Life Getting Better?
This is the third in a set of handouts about the project:
Is Life Getting Better?
A beginners guide on measuring the
progress of societies
Produced by
The Global Social Change Research Project
http://gsociology.icaap.org/
Global Project on Measuring the Progress of Societies
In this handout we briefly discuss what we should
measure about progress.
How has progress been measured?
The primary measure of progress has traditionally been
economic growth.
Recently, measures of progress have also included such
things as social and environmental factors, safety, human
rights, and many other aspects of quality of life.
There is, however, no universal measure of progress, and,
in addition, no universal agreement on which factors are
the most important, nor exactly how to measure them.
Handout based on
OECD's Measuring Progress's Mission Statement
(What we are doing)
http://www.oecd.org/progress
 Is Life Getting Better? Is Life Getting Better?

How should progress be measured? Taxonomy of indicators

One useful approach is to develop a set of indicators or OECD's Measuring Progress project has developed a
concepts about progress, which could provide a common taxonomy, or overall set of categories, of concepts/
starting point for anyone to use. indicators:

Then, each society can use the set of concepts/indicators to Taxonomy Framework
http://www.oecd.org/progress/taxonomy
customize their own measure of progress.

Which particular concepts/indicators they choose could be Ecosystems Condition

based on the values of their society. Land
Freshwater
“Measures based on social values can foster a more Oceans and Seas
informed debate on where a society actually is, where it Biodiversity
wants to head, and – crucially – the choices it needs to Atmosphere
make if it is to get there.”
Human Well-Being
Physical and mental health
Knowledge and understanding
Work and Leisure
Material Well-Being
Freedom and Self-Determination
Interpersonal relationships

Economy
National Income
National wealth
Quote from OECD's Measuring Progress's Mission Statement
(What we are doing)
http://www.oecd.org/progress
 Is Life Getting Better? Is Life Getting Better?

Governance Terms of use:

Human Rights Copyright by Gene Shackman, December 2009.
Civic Engagement
Security and Crime Prepared by Gene Shackman, Xun Wang and Ya-Lin Liu.
Access to Services
This handout can be freely distributed without need for permission,
provided it is distributed as is. Distribution for any commercial purpose is
Culture strictly forbidden. This handout cannot be sold under any circumstances.
Cultural heritage
This handout is only for education purposes. It does not represent any
Arts and Leisure guidelines, recommendations or requirements. The only purpose is to
provide information about measuring the progress of societies to the
Resource use general public, to researchers, or to anyone with interest in this subject.
Resource extraction and consumption
Gene Shackman's, Ya-Lin Liu’s and Xun Wang's contributions to this
Pollution project were on their own time, at home, and were not supported by any
organization. They do not represent or speak for any organization except
The Global Social Change Research Project.
Societies could also add their own concepts/indicators,
such as sustainability, equal distribution of wealth,
happiness or life satisfaction.

These handouts briefly introduce some of these concepts/

indicators of progress and some of the current practices in
their measurement. This introduction can be used as a
springboard for further discussion by those involved in The most recent version of this handout is available at the project fan
page on Facebook -
measuring progress, or as a means to get more of the
general public involved by making it easier for anyone to
be informed and to give feedback.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Global-Project-on-Measuring-
the-Progress-of-Societies/34567208190