Abstract
One of the few efforts to develop an operational set of international social indicators is underway through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The paper describes the OECD plan and gives some preliminary appraisal of the completed first phase of the work, the definition of the elements of well-being for which specific indicators of change should be developed. Attention is directed to certain aspects of the overall strategy being pursued by OECD including its careful delimitation of scope to the one type of social indicators (herein termed well-being indicators) for which international agreement now appears possible although very difficult. A possible governmental strategy for development of more comprehensive social indicators in the longer term context is suggested.
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The author is former head of the Social Affairs Division, OECD Secretariat. He acknowledges with gratitude the assistance provided by the Center for Coordination of Research on Social Indicators at which he is now a visiting scholar.
Paper presented for discussion at the annual convention of the International Studies Association in St. Louis, March 20–23, 1974.
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Christian, D.E. International social indicators: The OECD experience. Soc Indic Res 1, 169–186 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00302886
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00302886