social development and happiness in nations 1990-2010 ruut veenhoven erasmus university rotterdam...
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Social Development and Happiness in nations 1990-2010
Ruut VeenhovenErasmus University Rotterdam
Presentation at Conference Taking Stock: Measuring Social Development
International Institute of Social StudiesDecember 14-15 2011, The Hague, Netherlands
Social development and Happiness
• The issue
• Social development
• Happiness
• Does social development foster happiness?
– Independent of economic development?
– More so than economic development?
The issue
• Disenchantment with primacy of economic development
• Call for more emphasis onsocial development
• Expectation that social developmentmatters more for happiness
Questions
• Social development linked to happiness?– level– change
• Independent of economic development?
• More so than economic development?
Social development
Social development
• Not societal developmentin macro-sociological sense
• Degree to which social life in contemporary societies fits ideals of:– involvement– connectedness– equality
Also called ‘social capital’
Happiness
Happiness
• Concept
• Measurement
• Differences across nations
• Trends over time
What is ‘happiness’?Four qualities of life
external
internal
chances
outcomes
What is ‘happiness’?Four qualities of life
external
internal
chances
Livability
Life-ability
outcomes
Utility
Satisfaction
What is ‘happiness’?Four kinds of satisfaction
Passing
Enduring
Part
Whole
What is ‘happiness’?Four kinds of satisfaction
Passing
Enduring
Part
Pleasure
Domain
satisfaction
Whole
Top experience
Life satisfaction
(Happiness)
Measurement of happinessExample of a survey question
Taking all together, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Dissatisfied Satisfied
HappinessDifference across nations
Happiness in Denmark
Happiness in Zimbabwe
DISSATISFIED
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 SATISFIED
HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH YOUR LIFE
0,0%
10,0%
20,0%
30,0%
Perce
nt
COUNTRY/REGION: ZIMBABWE
Happiness in nations 2000-2009
• Denmark 8,3
• Netherlands 7,6
• USA 7,4
• France 6,6
• Russia 5,5
• Iraq 4,7
• Zimbabwe 3,0
Trend happiness 1973-2010
Gains happiness 1973-2010, scale 0-10
• Italy + 0,63
• Denmark + 0,55
• USA + 0,29
• France + 0,55
• UK + 0,26
• Netherlands + 0,26
• Japan + 0,20
Social development happiness?
Social development happiness?
• Comparison across nations
• Comparison over time, within nations
Data set:
States of nations. Part of World Database of Happiness
Social development happiness?Across nations: Civic activism
Social development happiness?Across nations: Intergroup cohesion
Social development happiness?Across nations: Clubs and Associations
Social development happiness?Across nations: Interpersonal S+T
Social development happiness?Across nations: Gender equality
Social development happiness?Comparison across nations 2010
r N
Civic Activism +.62 140
Intergroup Cohesion +.36 141
Clubs associations +.11 107
Safety-Trust +.40 124
Gender Equality +.51 143
Social development happiness?Comparison over time 1990-2010
Social development happiness?Over time: Civic activism
Social development happiness?Across nations: Clubs and Associations
Social development happiness?Over time: Interpersonal S+T
Social development happiness?Over time: Gender equality
Social development happiness?Comparison over time 1990-2010
Change ISD in nation Correlation with change average life satisfaction
r N
Civic Activism +.08 65
Intergroup Cohesion +.04 53
Clubs - Associations -.24 54
Safety-Trust -.23 41
Gender Equality +.13 63
Independent of economic development?
Social development happiness?Independent of economic development?
ISD 2010 Correlation with average life satisfaction 2010
Zero order
N Wealth controlled
N
Civic Activism +.62 140 +.32 135
Intergroup Cohesion +.36 141 +.03 135
Clubs -associations +.11 107 +.10 102
Safety-Trust +.40 124 +.02 121
Gender Equality +.51 143 +.36 135
More so than economic development?
More so than economic development?
• Comparison across nations 2010
• Comparison over time 1990-2010
More so than economic development?Across nations: Buying power p/c
More so than economic development?Comparison across nations
Correlation with average life satisfaction
r N
Civic Activism +.62 140
Intergroup Cohesion +.36 141
Clubs - Associations +.11 107
Safety-Trust +.40 124
Gender Equality +.51 143
Buying power p/c +.61 138
More so than economic development?Over time: Buying power p/c
More so than economic development?Comparison over time
Change ISD Correlation with change average life satisfaction
r N
Civic Activism +.08 65
Intergroup Cohesion +.04 53
Clubs - Associations -.24 54
Safety-Trust -.23 41
Gender Equality +.13 63
Change buying power p/c -.09 39
Economic growth +.40 40
Social development happiness?Conclusions
1. No clear relation with- Intergroup cohesion- Clubs- associations- Safety –Trust
2. Consistent relation with:- Civic Activism- Gender Equality
3. Partly independent of economic development
4. No stronger than economic development
World Database of Happiness
http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl