Objective and Subjective Measurements for Development and Well-being: Some Perspectives from a Bottom-up Study in Indonesia

摘要

The concept of development or, ultimately, well-being or happiness is now under extensive discussion by many scholars and international organizations. After all, what are we trying to measure and understand, and why? Another important question is whether or not we have a sufficient framework, tools, data and information to measure the state of people’s well-being and how it changes. The aim of this article is to conduct extensive reviews on the existing well-being concepts. The study discusses Indonesia’s well-being measurement framework as a case study. Through the discussion, the gaps between the ideal and the reality are identified. Based on these findings, directions are proposed to stakeholders on how they can implement the desirable improvements identified. Indonesia has collected national statistical data to facilitate analysis of its population’s well-being. This study provides suggestions for improving this collection system by proposing inclusive and participatory subjective measurement as an important supplemental approach to provide missing pieces of the puzzle in measuring changes in people’s well-being. Civil society often finds subjective measurements easier to understand and relate to. They are, in fact, the biggest stakeholder in development. If an inclusive framework for subjective measurement can be established, many potential or appropriate development practices may be realized. Important possibilities include international benchmarking and acceleration of development resonance driven by common people.