Culture, wellbeing, and the Living Standards Framework

Abstract

As part of its work programme to develop the Living Standards Framework (LSF) and the LSF Dashboard, the New Zealand Treasury has commissioned a series of discussion papers to offer perspectives on important aspects of intergenerational wellbeing. This publication contributes to that series. It focuses on culture, wellbeing, and the Living Standards Framework. It begins with the capabilities approach to wellbeing, recognising the considerable diversity and dynamism of cultures. It surveys previous wellbeing measurement frameworks, and provides an overview of key aspects of cultural wellbeing. It analyses how culture appears in the Living Standards Framework, and demonstrates how the structure of the Framework can be used to create a Cultural Wellbeing Framework to assist decisions on investment in culture for wellbeing. It suggests some cultural indicators, and concludes with eight key points that suggest pathways for further development of New Zealand’s frameworks for monitoring cultural wellbeing.