LebensbereicheMapping

LebensbereicheMapping is a methodological approach used in German-language social sciences to structure information about an individual's or a group's life into distinct life domains (Lebensbereiche) and to visualize or analyze their balance, interrelations, and changes over time. The approach emphasizes a holistic view of everyday life rather than focusing on a single aspect such as employment or health.

The mapping typically identifies a set of core life domains, often including health, education, work and income, family and partnerships, housing, social relationships, leisure and culture, mobility and environment, and technology usage. Data are gathered through surveys, interviews, diaries, or digital traces, and are then categorized and scored. Visualization tools such as matrices or radar charts are used to show the relative prominence, burden, or satisfaction within each domain, enabling comparison across individuals or populations and tracking changes longitudinally.

Applications of LebensbereicheMapping include social work assessment, career counseling, well-being research, and program evaluation. It can support interventions aimed at improving balance, identifying unmet needs, or informing policy design that addresses multiple life domains rather than single issues.

Limitations include reliance on self-reported data, cultural variability in domain definitions, privacy concerns, and the challenge of integrating qualitative nuances with quantitative scores. The term is primarily used in German-language contexts and may refer to various domain-mapping practices rather than to a single standardized protocol.