Quality of life and gender: a methodology for urban research

Abstract

This paper discusses how to undertake research on quality of life from a gender perspective. It begins by discussing how the concept of quality of life (which is concerned with people's sense of well-being) differs from environmental quality and how both can be measured. It then discusses the methodological basis for undertaking research on quality of life with a particular emphasis on seeking a clear understanding of differences in the perceptions of women and men. It ends with a description of how a questionnaire was developed to look in more detail at these differences in two low-income settlements in Santiago, and how group discussions and other measures helped to develop this questionnaire.