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A CONSENSUS INDICATOR OF SOCIAL HEALTH IN THE FRAMEWORK OF STATE POLICY
Abstract
A plethora of indices and indicators is used in modern social sciences to evaluate the general trends and specific aspects of society. Alongside with core social and economic measurables, such as inflation and compensation, unemployment, and technical indicators, many generalized indices reflect the state and dynamics of social climate. While easily accessible, such indices, however, are often limited to fragmentary reflections of social climate, are subjective, and lack standard interpretation scales. The notion of social health permeates all aspects of society and is studied widely across medicine, psychology, sociology, and economics. Two concepts of “public health” and “social health” exist, one primarily concerned with federally mandated population health, and the other related to personal skill sets and relationships. Neither allows for a complex assessment of the society's state. Here, we propose a consensus Indicator of Social Health, based on an institutional approach to social analyses. We provide a rationale for the specific components of the Indicator of Social Health, such as Democracy Index, Cultural Index of Development, as well as indicators of societal stability, communications, economic productivity, and others. Quantitative assessment of the Indicator of Social Health is performed using fuzzy sets theory and fuzzy logic, including fuzzy cognitive maps. We argue that the proposed indicator is useful not solely as a theoretical measure but can be readily used as a practical instrument of governance. The dynamics of the Indicator of Social Health can serve as both a tool for objective evaluation of the efficacy of existing governmental programs, and a target-setting quantitative indicator for strategic planning in diverse areas such as healthcare, education, and quality of life.
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