This chapter considers notions of ‘child, family and social well-being’ and sets out the social values and analytical approach informing the book. It argues for a combined analysis of child, adult, family and social well-being which draws on quantitative and qualitative social research to inform social policy agendas and critical debates about parental rights and responsibilities.

Child, family and social well-being: definitions and principles

‘Well-being’ is an inherently contested concept, defined relative to the purpose for which the concept is employed, disciplinary foci and social values (Jordan, 2007). Related concepts are equally contested, such as human needs, sustainable development, quality of life, life satisfaction and social quality (Stiglitz et al, 2009; Dean, 2010). The term is increasingly significant to British social policy debates. Part Two of the book examines the previous Labour government's child wellbeing agenda. Many recent policy reports utilise the concepts of child, adult, family and community well-being (MacInnes et al, 2009; Wollny et al, 2010). The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition government has pledged to develop national indicators of social well-being (HM Treasury, 2010). The shift from ‘welfare to well-being’ is associated with a shift in overarching policy objectives towards promoting higher standards of welfare and socio-economic development. For example, in 2006 the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs defined well-being as:

Multi-dimensional notions of individual and societal well-being move social policies beyond one-dimensional perspectives (ie national well-being is not sufficiently measured in economic terms and neither is individual or household welfare, Stiglitz et al, 2009). Well-being promotes holistic, interconnected and democratic ways of understanding the lives of citizens, the nature of social problems and the overarching functions, aims and objectives of social policy.