Happiness around the World: The Paradox of Happy Peasants and Miserable Millionaires

Authors

Carol Graham, Brookings InstituteFollow

Document Type

Lecture

Publication Date

11-15-2011

Publisher

Brookings Mountain West

Abstract

For centuries the pursuit of happiness was the preserve of philosophers. More recently there is a burgeoning interest in the study of happiness in the social sciences. Can we really answer the question what makes people happy? Is it grounded in credible methods and data? Is there consistency in the determinants of happiness across countries and cultures? Are happiness levels innate to individuals or can policy and the environment make a difference? How is happiness affected by poverty and by progress? This presentation introduces a line of research which is both an attempt to understand the determinants of happiness and a tool for understanding the effects of a host of phenomena on human well being, ranging from macroeconomic and political trends to inequality, disease, and crime. The author will discuss the potential of happiness surveys to contribute to better public policy, as well as the potential pitfalls.

Keywords

Happiness; Happiness – Economic aspects; Happiness – Effect of environment on; Well-being

Disciplines

Anthropology | Demography, Population, and Ecology | Economics | Family, Life Course, and Society | Inequality and Stratification | Medicine and Health | Place and Environment | Social Psychology | Social Welfare | Sociology | Urban Studies

File Format

pdf

File Size

215 KB

Streaming Media

Language

English

Comments

5:30 p.m. Greenspun Hall Auditorium, UNLV

Audio/Video File size: 194 megabytes

Attached file: 21 PowerPoint slides

Repository Citation

Graham, C. (2011). Happiness around the World: The Paradox of Happy Peasants and Miserable Millionaires.
Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/brookings_lectures_events/33