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on Economics of Happiness |
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Issue of 2016‒06‒25
five papers chosen by |
| By: | Paul Dolan; Georgios Kavetsos |
| Abstract: | There is increasing interest in subjective well-being (SWB) both in academic and policy circles. As a result, considerable research efforts are now being directed at the validity and reliability of SWB measures. This study examines how SWB reports differ by survey mode. Using data from the April 2011 to March 2012 Annual Population Survey in the UK we find that individuals consistently report higher SWB over the phone compared to face-to-face interviews. We also show that the determinants of SWB differ significantly by mode, with life circumstances tending to matter more in face-to-face interviews. These results have substantial implications for research and policy purposes. |
| Keywords: | Subjective well-being; Happiness; Survey mode; Valuation |
| JEL: | D60 I30 |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:66915&r=hap |
| By: | Benjamin Held; Hans Diefenbacher; Dorothee Rodenhäuser |
| Abstract: | In recent years, the debate about alternative measures of welfare (“beyond GDP”) has con-siderably gained momentum in Germany. This was the case not only on the national level: The demand for such measures has risen on the federal states level, too. For that reason, and in the context of a study whose main purpose was to calculate the Regional Welfare Index (RWI) for North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), we also analyzed survey data from the So-cio-Economic Panel (SOEP) for NRW and – in order the compare and classify the results – for the rest of Germany. The observation period ranges from 1984 to 2013 (SOEP v30). The re-search topics include satisfaction (life in general/specific areas; current/anticipated), con-cerns, importance, interest for politics and feelings. The evaluation shows among other find-ings that in 2013 the current general life satisfaction (+0,1) and the anticipated general life satisfaction in five years (+0,2) were slightly but significantly higher in NRW than in the rest of Germany. At the same time, people in NRW voiced higher concerns about the issues “im-migration to Germany”, “global terrorism” and “crime in Germany”. At the end of this con-tribution, the trends of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the Regional Welfare Index (RWI) and the current general life satisfaction are compared. They differ significantly from each other. |
| Keywords: | Wohlfahrtsmessung, subjektive Indikatoren, Zufriedenheit, SOEP |
| JEL: | D63 D69 I31 I39 |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp847&r=hap |
| By: | Nicolò Bellanca (Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa); Benedetto Rocchi (Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa) |
| Abstract: | The quality of relationships among people is increasingly perceived as a crucial determinant of well-being. Despite this relevant shift, economic analysis is still deeply tied to an individualistic conception of people acting and living together. In this paper we will argue that to better understand the subjective and inter-subjective multiple dimensions of well-being, it is necessary to further deepen its conceptual framework to deal with its genuine relational essence. The forms of civic agriculture and short food supply chains that have emerged in the last decades provide an interesting case to highlight the limits of an individualistic conception of well-being. Within civic forms of agriculture, people follow pathways of personal change that affect the relational dimension of their lives, according to how they use money and spare time. At the same time, these personal pathways contribute to the emergence of rural economies and cultures as participatory or shared goods. |
| Keywords: | relational goods, shared goods, well-being, civic agriculture, commonality. |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:frz:wpaper:wp2016_09.rdf&r=hap |
| By: | Bachelet, Maria (Associazione Italiana per la Cultura della Cooperazione e del Non Profit); Becchetti, Leonardo (Associazione Italiana per la Cultura della Cooperazione e del Non Profit); Pisani, Fabio (Associazione Italiana per la Cultura della Cooperazione e del Non Profit) |
| Abstract: | Eudaimonic happiness (measured in terms of sense of life) is a relatively unexplored subjective wellbeing indicator. The empirical findings presented in this paper show that it has a significant and quantitatively remarkable correlation with the future insurgence of some chronic diseases and the reduction of most functionalities in the ageing population. These results document that eudaimonic happiness is a relevant leading indicator of future health outcomes and expenditure and that its impact is independent from that of the traditional life satisfaction measure. |
| Keywords: | eudaimonic satisfaction; health outcomes; functionalities; life satisfaction |
| JEL: | I12 I31 |
| Date: | 2016–06–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:aiccon:2016_150&r=hap |
| By: | Dluhosch, Barbara (Helmut Schmidt University, Hamburg); Horgos, Daniel (Helmut Schmidt University, Hamburg) |
| Abstract: | There has been an intense debate as to the effects of offshoring and global value chains on labor, with the debate centering around possible negative employment and income effects for the low(er) skilled in advanced economies. Although sociological and psychological research has shown that income falls far too short when it comes to subjective well-being (SWB), the globalization's impact on SWB has been surprisingly under-researched. This applies in particular to job satisfaction, including of those negatively affected by seeing their real income depressed. Against this backdrop, we develop a trade model that is capable of capturing job satisfaction in conjunction with the income and distributional effects of offshoring. Contrary to a great many beliefs, our theoretical considerations suggest that those remaining employed may be more satisfied with their jobs, even if suffering from increased competition and from more tasks being offshored. Running a cross-section logistic regression model that combines information on offshoring and job satisfaction, lends support to our theoretical explanations. Accordingly, job satisfaction is on average rated higher in countries with comparatively high offshoring activities. More disaggregated regressions get to the heart of the matter, which is a change in the characteristics of the remaining jobs. Our results stand up to extensive robustness checks with respect to different specifications, measures of globalization, and even when controlling for many of the usually suspected variables with reference to SWB. |
| Keywords: | Subjective Well-Being; Job Satisfaction; Offshoring; Global Value Chains |
| JEL: | F66 I31 |
| Date: | 2016–06–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:vhsuwp:2016_170&r=hap |