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Empirical Studies on the Social Determinants of Well-Being

This section collects empirical investigations on the social determinants of well-being. Suggested readings address different "social" factors potentially able to improve well-being and life satisfaction - like interpersonal relations, social protection systems, well-functioning public institutions and public services - often in opposition with the other determinants of well-being traditionally considered by economic studies, like income and material wealth. There is a growing evidence that agents' behaviour - even in its economic dimensions - cannot be entirely explained by the rational choice paradigm adopted by neoclassical economics. Empirical studies show that homo economicus isn't happier and, in advanced market economies, happiness seems to be related to social and relational factors besides income, material wealth, and private consumption.

This page is under construction: comments and suggestions are welcome.

• Essential readings

• Further readings

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Essential Readings

• Alesina, A., Di Tella, R., MacCulloch, R. (2002), Inequality and Happiness: Are Europeans and Americans Different?, NBER Working Paper No. w8198.

• Bjørnskov, C. (2003), The Happy Few: Cross-Country Evidence on Social Capital and Life Satisfaction, Kyklos (2003), vol. 56 (1), pp. 3-16.

• Bjørnskov, C. (2005), The Multiple Facets of Social Capital. European Journal of Political Economy, vol. 22 (2006), pp. 22-40.

• Easterlin, R.A. (2000), Income and Happiness: Towards a Unified Theory, The Economic Journal, 111:473 July 2000, 465-484.

• Grootaert (2002) Social Capital, household welfare and poverty in Indonesia, Policy Research Working Paper no. 2148, Washington D.C., The World Bank.

• Heliwell, J. (2003), How's Life? Combining Individual and National Variables to Explain Subjective Well-Being, Economics of Modelling (2003), vol. 20, pp. 331-360.

• Inglehart, R. (1999), Trust, Well-being and Democracy, in Warren, M.E. Democracy and Trust, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. pp. 88-120.

• Sabatini, Fabio (2006), Social Capital, Public Spending and the
Quality of Economic Development: the Case of Italy, FEEM Working Paper 14.06, Eni Enrico Mattei Foundation, Milan, January 2006.

• Sabatini, Fabio (2006), Social capital, labour precariousness and the economic performance. An empirical assessment of the strength of weak ties in Italy, Third Sector and Civil Economy Working Paper Series, No. 26, January 2006, University of Bologna, Faculty of Economics.

• Sabatini, Fabio (2005), The Role of Social Capital in Economic Development. Investigating the Causal Nexus through Structural Equations Models, University of Rome La Sapienza, Department of Public Economics, mimeo.

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Further Readings

• Anheier, H. (2003), Social Capital and Life Satisfaction in Europe: A Comparative Analysis, Paper presented at the Conference Sustainable Ties in the Information Society, Tilburg University, March, 2003.

• Baliamoune-Lutz, M., Lutz, S.H. (2004), The Contribution of Income, Social Capital and Institutions to Human Well-Being in Africa, Center for European Integration Studies, Working Paper B072004.

• Binswanger, M. (2003), Why Does Income Growth Fail to Make Us Happier? Treadmills Behind the Paradox of Happiness, Solothurn University of Applied Science Northwestern Switzerland, Discussion Paper 2003-01.

• Blanchflower, D.G., Oswald, A.J. (2000), Well-Being Over Time in Britain and the USA, NBER Working Paper No. w7487.

• Blanchflower, D.G., Oswald, A.J. (2003), Money, Sex and Happiness: An Empirical Study, NBER Working Paper No. w10499.

• Boes, S., Winkelmann, R. (2004), Income and Happiness: New Results from Generalized Tresholds and Sequential Models, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute.

• Chappell N.L., Badger M. (1989), Social isolation and well-being, Journal of Gerontology, 44, S169S176.

• Cheung, C.K., Leung, K.K. (2004), Forming Life Satisfaction among Different Social Groups during the Modernization of China, Journal of Happiness Studies 5 (1): 23-56, 2004.

• Clarck, A.E. (2003), Happiness, Habits and High Rank: Human and Social Capital (or Drinking Alone: Social Capital in Great Britain), Ecole normale supérieure, Département et Laboratoire d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, mimeo.

• Clarck, A.E., Oswald, E.J. (1994), Unhappiness and Unemployment, Economic Journal 104(424), 648-659.

• Clark, A.E., Diener, E., Georgellis, Y., Lucas, R.E. (2003), Lags and Leads in Life Satisfaction: A Test of the Baseline Hypothesis, Paper presented at the Conference on Well-Being and Social Capital, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government November 2003.

• Csikszentmihalyi, M., Hunter, J. (2003), Happiness in Everyday Life: The Uses of Experience Sampling, Journal of Happiness Studies, 4 (2): 185-199, 2003.

• Den Butter, F.A.G., Mosch, R.H.J. (2005), Externalities of social capital : the role of values, norms and networks, Tinbergen Institute and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, mimeo.

• Di Tella, R., MacCulloch, R. (1999), Partisan Social Happiness, Harvard Business School, mimeo.

• Diener, E. (2003), Subjective Well-Being. The Science of Happiness and a Proposal for a National Index, Paper presented at the Conference on Well-Being and Social Capital, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government November 2003.

• Diener, E., Biswas-Diener, R. (2003), Will Money Increase Subjective Well-Being? A Literature Review and Guide to Needed Research, Paper presented at the Conference on Well-Being and Social Capital, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government November 2003.

• Diener, E., Eunkook, S. (1997), Measuring Quality of Life: Economic, Social, and Subjective Indicators, Social Indicators Research, 40 (1-2): 189-216, 1997.

• Donovan, N., Halpern, D. (2002), Life Satisfaction: the State of Knowledge and Implications for Government, Paper presented at the Conference on Well-Being and Social Capital, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government November 2003.

• Duncan, E., Grazzani-Gavazzi, I. (2004), Positive Emotional Experiences in Scottish and Italian Young Adults: a Diary Study, Journal of Happiness Studies, 5 (4): 359-384, 2004.

• Eckersley, R. (2000), The State and Fate of Nations: Implications of Subjective Measures of Personal and Social Quality of Life, Social Indicators Research, 52 (1): 3-27, October 2000.

• Farrell, S.J., Aubry, T., Coulombe, D. (2003), Neighborhoods and neighbors: Do they contribute to personal well-being?, Journal of Community Psychology Vol. 32, Issue 1 , 9-25.

• Fischer, J., Kirchgassner, G., Dorn, D., Sousa-Poza, A. (2005), Is It Culture or Democracy? The Impact of Democracy, Income, and Culture on Happiness, Discussion paper no. 2005-12, University of St. Gallen, Department of Economics.

• Frey, B.S., Benz, M. (2003), Being Independent is a Great Thing: Subjective Evaluation of Self-Employment and Hierarchy, CESifo Working Paper No. 959.

• Frijters, P., Haisken-DeNew, J.P., Shields, M.A. (2002), The Value of Reunification in Germany: An Analysis of Changes in Life Satisfaction, IZA Discussion Paper No. 419, Institute for the Study of Labor.

• Gardner, J., Oswald, A.J. (2001), Does Money Buy Happiness? A Longitudinal Study Using Data on Windfalls, Warwick University, Department of Economics, mimeo.

• Gerdtham, U.G., Johannesson, M. (1997), The relationship between happiness, health and socio-economic factors: results based on Swedish micro data, Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance No. 207, Department of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics.

• Graham, C., Pettinato, S. (1999), Assessing Hardship and Happiness: Trends in Mobility and Expectations in the New Market Economies, Center on Social and Economic Dynamics, Working Paper No. 7, October 1999.

• Graham, C., Pettinato, S. (2001), Frustrated Achievers: Winners, Loosers, and Subjective Well Being in New Market Economies, Center on Social and Economic Dynamics Working Paper Series No. 21, The Brookings Institution.

• Gundelach, P., Kreiner, S. (2004), Happiness and Life Satisfaction in Advanced European Countries, Cross-Cultural Research, Vol. 38, No. 4, 359-386 (2004).

• Hao, L., Johnson, R.W. (2000), Economic, Cultural, and Social Origins of Emotional Well-Being: Comparisons of Immigrants and Natives at Midlife, Research on Aging, November 2000, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 599-629(31).

• Healy, T. (2005), In Each Other’s Shadow. What has been the impact of human and social capital on life satisfaction in Ireland?, A Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the National University of Ireland.

• Heliwell, J.F. (2003), Well-Being and Social Capital: Does Suicide Pose a Puzzle?, Paper presented at the Conference Social Capital and Well-Being, Harvard University, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, November 7-9, 2003.

• Hellevik, O. (2003), Economy, Values and Happiness in Norway, Journal of Happiness Studies, 4 (3): 243-283, 2003.

• Kim, D., Kawachi, I. (2003), Health and Happiness in U.S. Communities: a Multivariate Multilevel Analysis, Paper presented at the Conference on Well-Being and Social Capital, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government November 2003.

• Konow, J. (2004), Mixed Feelings: Theories and Evidence of Warm Glow and Altruism, Department of Economics, Loyola Marymount University, mimeo.

• Lane, R.E. (2000), The Loss of Happiness in the Market Democracies, New Haven, Yale University Press.

• Lelkes, O. (2002), Tasting freedom: Happiness, religion and economic transition, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics, CASE Paper No. 59.

• Luttmer, E.F.P. (2004), Neighbors as Negatives: Relative Earnings and Well-Being, J.F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, mimeo.

• Osberg, L., Sharpe, A. (2001), Comparisons of Trends in GDP and Economic Well-being. The Impact of Social Capital, in J. Helliwell (ed), The Contribution of Human and Social Capital to Sustained Economic Growth and Well Being, International Symposium Report, OECD and Human Resource Development Canada, Paris and Ottawa, 2001.

• Oswald, A.J. (1997), Happiness and Economic Performance, Economic Journal, 107, 1815-31.

• Pacek, A., Radcliff, B. (2004), Class Organization and Subjective Well-Being: A Cross-National Analysis, Paper presented at the 2004 Political Studies Association Annual Conference, University of Lincoln.

• Rose, R. (1999), What Does Social Capital Add To Individual Welfare? An Empirical Analysis of Russia, Social Capital Initiative Working Paper No. 15, The World Bank.

• Schyns, P. (1998), Crossnational Differences in Happiness: Economic and Cultural Factors Explored, Social Indicators Research, 43 (1-2): 3-26, February 1998.

• Uchida, Y., Norasakkunkit, V., Kitayama, S. (2004), Cultural constructions of happiness: theory and emprical evidence, Journal of Happiness Studies, 5 (3): 223-239, 2004.

• Weare, K., Gray, G. (2003), What Works in Developing Children’s Emotional and Social Competence and Wellbeing?, Research and Graduate School of Education, University of Southampton, Research Report No 456.

• Welsch, H. (2003), Freedom and Rationality as Predictors of Cross-National Happiness Patterns: The Role of Income as a Mediating Variable, Journal of Happiness Studies, 4 (3): 295-321, 2003.

• Wong, C.Y., Tang, C.S.K. (2003), Personality, Psychosocial Variables, and Life Satisfaction of Chinese Gay Men in Hong Kong, Journal of Happiness Studies, 4 (3): 285-293, 2003.

• Zheng, X., Sang, D., Wang, L. (2004), Acculturation and Subjective well-being of Chinese Students in Australia, Journal of Happiness Studies 5 (1): 57-72, 2004.

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