Local Meanings of Wellbeing and the Construction of Wellbeing Indicators

There have been attempts to develop and employ tools for measuring development that shifted away from economic growth. In Thailand, a number of alternative indicators to measure the progress of development were created and employed. However, the indicators and measurements of development continued to be challenging, partly because of the dynamic changes of socio-economics, and partly due to the inconsistency between aggregated and local, or individual units of measurement. This paper aims to study meanings and develop wellbeing indicators of a community in the Northeast of Thailand. The data was derived from qualitative research conducted during 2013–2014. Focus group discussions with thirty-five formal and informal community leaders were used, and in-depth interviews were applied to collect data from thirty key informants. The results showed that the indicators of community wellbeing are classified into four groups, namely objective community wellbeing, community trust, community security, and community strength. The objective community wellbeing indicators were consistent with those that are used to guide policy and practice in Thailand. However, based on the local meaning of community wellbeing, new dimensions of indicators were found and proposed. This study recommended that these indicators should be developed further, to be employed as a tool to monitor progress, especially by local government.     

The Lived Experiences of Transgender Persons: A Meta-Synthesis

This article synthesises findings from qualitative studies which have explored the lived experiences of transgender persons, using Noblit and Hare's (1998) meta-ethnography method. Thirty-one qualitative studies related to the lived experiences of transgender individuals, published between 1998 and 2013, met the inclusion criteria. A literature search was conducted between November 2012 and September 2013 using computerized searches from nine databases as well as online manual searches of key journals. Results from these individual studies revealed five major themes: (a) crossing gender and physical problems in life, (b) experiencing psychological distress, (c) encountering discrimination and social exclusion, (d) having relationships does matter, and (e) dealing with difficulties in life. Yet, despite these negative experiences, transgender people have tried to find ways to help them deal with their difficulties. We conclude that there is a need for health care providers, social workers, and health promoters to support transgender individuals, for their health and well-being. This meta-synthesis provides a clear account of what transgender individuals experience in their lives, to support the development of sympathetic health and social care services to assist them with their difficulties, and enhance their health and well-being.