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LOCAL PERCEPTIONS OF "QUALITY OF LIFE" IN RURAL CHINA: Implications for Anthropology and Participatory Development

One of the main challenges faced by anthropologists and practitioners who work in international development is the identification of locally appropriate objectives and outcomes for development projects. In recent years, improving the quality of life of target populations has emerged as a key objective of many development agencies, but there is little consensus about how best to define and operationalize this concept. This paper applies anthropological research methods to understand a local population's definitions of quality of life in one rapidly developing township in rural Sichuan, China. The paper also examines the patterning of attitudes about quality of life across occupational groups in the study community. Data are drawn from ethnographic interviews and quantitative surveys. Findings suggest that villagers' definitions of quality of life consist of a range of themes related to both material living standards and subjective measures. Occupational groups differ markedly in their quality-of-life ratings, a pattern that is in line with the widening economic disparities in rural communities throughout China as the nation's economy undergoes liberal economic reforms. Implications for anthropological theory and practice, and for the practice of participatory development, are also discussed.