Leader: Massimo Reichlin (UNISR); Other collaborator(s):
This task aims to analyze the relationship between health conditions and well-being in the elderly. Based on the limits of resourcist, mental state and desire-based theories of well-being that have been stressed in contemporary literature, the framework offered by the capability approach will be used in order to correlate the role played by different “combined capabilities” in different health conditions and different stages of the ageing process. Assuming that the specific vulnerabilities of the elderly change the perceived value of several capabilities, with respect to younger populations, the final outcome will be to provide a specific list of capabilities to evaluate well-being in a population of older adults.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
The outcomes of this study comprise working papers and essays on “Solidarity and ageing societies”, a more methodological one on “The Ethics of Crises”, and a normative perspective on “Critical Solidarity as Active Respect.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
There are no industrial or scientific implications of this research, which is eminently philosophical. However, the policy implication that is going to emerge from this work is the importance of providing elderly people with the elements of well-being that are underlined by the objective list theory, and particularly with company and meaningful relationships, with opportunities of learning, and with opportunities to achieve worthwhile goals. The importance of social services with reference to these goals is as much important as that of medical interventions for physical well-being.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Research on the topic of well-being has been carried out by discussing the main theoretical frameworks on the well-being that have been defended in contemporary discussion. A theoretical defence of the objective list account has been prepared, and a paper authored by the task leader entitled "The desirability of the good: a defence of the objective list theory" is presently under review for publication. This paper touches only superficially on the specific topic of well-being in the elderly; but a second paper, applying the theory to the elderly is in preparation.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
There are no industrial or scientific implications of this research, which is eminently philosophical. However, the policy implication that is going to emerge from this work is the importance of providing elderly people with the elements of well-being that are underlined by the objective list theory, and particularly with company and meaningful relationships, with opportunities of learning, and with opportunities to achieve worthwhile goals. The importance of social services with reference to these goals is as much important as that of medical interventions for physical well-being.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Research on the topic of well-being has been carried out by discussing the main theoretical frameworks on the well-being that have been defended in contemporary discussion. A theoretical defence of the objective list account has been prepared, and a paper authored by the task leader entitled "The desirability of the good: a defence of the objective list theory" is presently under review for publication. This paper touches only superficially on the specific topic of well-being in the elderly; but a second paper, applying the theory to the elderly is in preparation.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
There are no industrial or scientific implications of this research, which is eminently philosophical. However, the policy implication that is going to emerge from this work is the importance of providing elderly people with the elements of well-being that are underlined by the objective list theory, and particularly with company and meaningful relationships, with opportunities of learning, and with opportunities to achieve worthwhile goals. The importance of social services with reference to these goals is as much important as that of medical interventions for physical well-being.
The Research task on well-being has concentrated, first, on the reworking and resubmitting of a paper defending the objective list theory of well-being, in discussion with competitor theoretical approaches such as hedonism and the desire theory. Secondly, work has been done on reviewing the empirical literature on well-being on the elderly in order to integrate it in a philosophical discussion on well-being. This resulting paper will show that empirical literature confirms the main points defended by the objective list theory, with specific reference to the presence of certain capabilities, such as social and family support, as a basis for a definition of well-being in the elderly tht encompasses both physical and psychological aspects.
This work is inherently theoretical and has no direct industrial implications, although it may offer some insight for policy recommendations.