Subjective well-being of the elderly in Islamabad, Pakistan

PhD ceremony: Rizwan ul Haq, 12.45 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Subjective well-being of the elderly in Islamabad, Pakistan

Promotor(s): prof. L.J.G. van Wissen, prof. I. Hutter

Faculty: Spatial Sciences

As an outcome of demographic transition, proportion of elderly population is rising worldwide. In developing countries, including Pakistan, researchers and policy makers have mainly focused on economic situation and health-related issues of the elderly. Thus people’s perspective regarding their well-being is ignored altogether. The thesis aims to study subjective well-being (SWB) of the elderly in Pakistan from goals’ perspective embedded in the social production function (SPF) theory.

To get a better understanding of important goals of the elderly, the theory was grounded in the Pakistani setting. Apart from the universal goals of physical and social well-being, the elderly in Islamabad regard their life after death as another universal goal. Further, for studying the goal-SWB relationship, this study incorporates commitment to and attainability of goals together with progress in achieving goals. This research indicates that progress in achieving goals is necessary but not sufficient condition for explaining SWB. Moreover, commitment to goals whose success might be associated with distal events in the future is essential for attaining SWB. Goals of comfort, status and affection proved to be important for both affective and cognitive components of SWB.