What does "Good Childhood" in a Comparative Perspective Mean? An Explorative Comparison of Child Well-Being in Nepal and Germany

In this paper we want to point out the need of sensitivity to the dominance of western ideas and concepts of childhood. With special regard to the universally oriented concept of a good life by Martha Nussbaum, that takes the specific context into account, we try to measure a set of dimensions in completely different contexts. The focus is put on the concept underlying the Third World Vision Survey "Children in Germany" and a small survey on child well-being in Nepal, which is the first childhood-theory-oriented study in this country. The subsequent discussion on the need for a universally oriented framework leads us to conclude that there is a need for more explorative research using more open and less pre-defined methods if we are to gain an idea of what constitutes and composes (good) childhood in the different contexts to be found in non-western countries.