4160.0.55.001 - Frameworks for Australian Social Statistics, Jun 2015

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/06/2015 First Issue

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Preface + Developing Frameworks for Australian Social Statistics + Using the frameworks + The conceptual framework Our wellbeing Our changing world Actions supporting wellbeing + The statistical framework History of Changes About this Release	OUR WELLBEING Our wellbeing (State) describes current wellbeing and changes in wellbeing over time. It is made up of the elements: who we are what we do where we live our lives our connections the wellbeing of others risks we face our opportunities and barriers. FOCUS ON OUR WELLBEING QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER IN RELATION TO 'OUR WELLBEING' How are these elements related to wellbeing? What is the current state of wellbeing? How is wellbeing changing over time? What is the distribution of wellbeing across the Australian people? Are there pockets of inequity? Who is doing worst? Who is doing best? Who are the most vulnerable people? THE ELEMENTS OF 'OUR WELLBEING' Each element of 'Our wellbeing' can be viewed from a number of perspectives. To illustrate this, a few examples of concepts related to each element are provided - from both an individual and a societal perspective. Examples of related measurement areas are also provided. These examples are intended to prompt thinking about the elements and provide a link between the abstract concepts and the measurement of such concepts. They are not a proposal of 'wellbeing indicators'. When developing a set of indicators each underlying concept should be considered critically, debated, and refined in relation to the particular context and circumstances. Who we are Individual view My wellbeing is related to: my sense of who I am my feelings about my life my personal characteristics including my personality traits, intellect, emotions and abilities my physical and mental health my achievements my past experiences my desires for the future. Societal view Our wellbeing is related to having a shared sense of identity. Social exclusion and discrimination are detrimental to societal functioning. This includes: culture language religions sports history arts governance processes and structures attitudes and opinions. Measurement areas Areas we can measure to inform about who we are include: subjective wellbeing demographic information (age, sex, country of birth, marital status, etc.) health status and history educational attainment employment status and history attitudes and opinions. What we do Individual view I work, learn, interact with other people, relax, exercise, take care of myself and others, volunteer and do many other things. My wellbeing is related to: the things that I do with my time the satisfaction, or dissatisfaction they give me the balance of these activities in my life how they relate to living a life I value. Societal view Our wellbeing is reliant on what we do as a society and how we use our resources (people, natural resources, technology, and other capital). How we function as a society is also important. This includes: social participation civic participation community support economic participation institutional functioning - accessibility, effectiveness and responsiveness. Measurement areas Areas we can measure to inform about what we do include: activities which serve basic physiological needs such as sleeping, eating, personal care, health and hygiene work - paid and unpaid (voluntary, caring and domestic) education and learning activities recreational and leisure activities social and community interactions civic engagement including voting time use. Where we live our lives Individual view My wellbeing relates to the places where I live, work, shop, exercise and do many other things. My home is important to me, providing shelter, safety, privacy and comfort. The liveability of the area(s) where I live my life is also important. This includes: levels of crime and disorder access to services access to places of cultural importance community events socio-economic status of my community and my level of relative disadvantage the environment built infrastructure (public parks, playgrounds, shopping malls, roads and footpaths, transport systems). Societal view Our wellbeing is related to the physical nature of our built and natural environment. This includes: urban planning having safe community spaces accessibility of transport systems roads and footpaths commuting congestion air and water quality waste management energy services noise remoteness housing markets local economy. Measurement areas Areas we can measure to inform about where we live our lives include: spatial information, including remoteness housing (availability, affordability) and homelessness built infrastructure urban planning access to services crime, social disorder issues and feelings of safety measures of the socio-economic status of the area where people live (e.g. SEIFA), and a person's own level of relative advantage or disadvantage within that area commuting times local economy accessible public places. Our connections Individual view My wellbeing is related to feeling connected with, contributing to, supported by, included in, respected and valued by my family and my community. Connectedness provides me with a sense of a shared identity and links to my cultural heritage. This includes: family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, organisations and groups, people in general, acquaintances social participation civic participation community support work (employment, voluntary and caring). Societal view Our wellbeing is dependent on the relationships which are fostered between people, their families and communities. Those relationships provide a social network that joins the individual to other people with similar interests, backgrounds, culture and/or values. This includes: culture - language, history, gender, religion, sports, cultural events and arts sharing knowledge sharing support trust/trustworthiness, reciprocity and cooperation governance structures and process. Measurement areas Areas we can measure to inform about our connections include: social networks social and community interactions use of the internet trust volunteer work experience of discrimination cultural identification Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with access to their traditional lands overseas-born Australian residents who are Australian citizens language proficiency language spoken at home, ancestry, identification with a community communication usage. Wellbeing of others Individual view The wellbeing of others affects my wellbeing, including the wellbeing of my family, friends and community. This reflects: my concern for others feelings of empathy reciprocity cooperation the comparisons I make about my life with the perceived circumstances of others equality fairness. Societal view The choices we make as a society in our pursuit of wellbeing impacts on the wellbeing of the people in other societies and of future generations. It also increases our wellbeing through a sense of altruism. This includes: sharing support physical or financial assistance emotional support encouragement social inclusion common action sharing knowledge, skills, information, and experiences laws, sanctions, protections and rights trade relationships being a destination for visitors and migrants. Our wellbeing may also be reduced through adverse policies of other countries. Our response to international obligations and responsibilities is also important. Measurement areas Areas we can measure to inform about the wellbeing of others include: charitable giving level of, and attitudes towards, national aid and welfare support for relatives living outside the household carers access to financial services social inclusion philanthropy and volunteer work. Risks we face Individual view My wellbeing is affected by uncertainty about what the future will bring. I might enjoy the challenge of taking a risk, while at other times uncertainty about the future may keep me awake at night. This includes my ability, or inability, to manage the level and nature of the risks I face, through to opportunities for insuring myself against risk. This includes: vulnerability to changes in circumstances resilience adaptability mitigation strategies skills insurance access to financial services - credit, savings/transactions accounts support networks financial or housing stress. Societal view Our wellbeing is related to having a society able to cope with unexpected crises and to maintain a good standard of living for Australians. It is important that society is able to respond flexibly to events and draw upon resources to protect against risk. It is also important to have knowledge of vulnerabilities and opportunities within society. This includes: security of food, fuel, energy and other natural resource supplies economic sustainability complexity of choices support services resilience and sustainability of communities sustainable farming practices emergency services coordination of responses. Measurement areas Areas we can measure to inform about the risks we face include: economic wellbeing time and number of periods spent in poverty/on welfare financial stress support from others in a time of crisis insurance sustainable natural environment - e.g. climate, water, air, natural resources, ecosystems and biodiversity sustainability of agriculture, forests and fisheries psychological distress childhood development crime rates new technologies. Our opportunities and barriers Individual view My wellbeing is related to whether I am actually able to do and be the things I would value doing and being. This includes possessing the means, instruments and permissions to pursue what I would like to do. This includes: social acceptance relating to race, culture, sexual orientation or mental illness language proficiency remoteness provision to meet needs of people with disability skills for available jobs economic resources social inclusion. Societal view Our wellbeing as a society is related to all people having the opportunities to lead the kind of life they want and choose to live. Our society should not present barriers in the pursuit of wellbeing e.g. by making information or procedures unnecessarily complex or difficult, or by condoning discriminatory behaviours. This includes: accessibility of services legal or administrative barriers transport options discrimination freedom of speech, association, assembly, religion, the press, movement cultural norms. Measurement areas Areas we can measure to inform about our opportunities and barriers include: access to services including health, education, financial and social support systems rights - including freedom of speech, association, assembly, religion, the press, movement laws - criminal, civil, contract, property and constitutional barriers to participation - appropriate activities and venues, money, feeling of safety, caring responsibilities, physical and mental health, disability, time, transport, companions, feeling welcome, language, etc. employment barriers differences in opportunities across the population - population groups, characteristics of vulnerable people. Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window.