2012-05-29 papers

on Economics of Happiness

Issue of 2012‒05‒29
two papers chosen by

The French Unhappiness Puzzle: the Cultural Dimension of Happiness By Claudia Senik
Yet, two more revisions to the Human Development Index By Beja, Edsel Jr.

The French Unhappiness Puzzle: the Cultural Dimension of Happiness

By:	Claudia Senik (EEP-PSE - Ecole d'Économie de Paris - Paris School of Economics - Ecole d'Économie de Paris, PSE - Paris-Jourdan Sciences Economiques - CNRS : UMR8545 - Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) - Ecole des Ponts ParisTech - Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris - ENS Paris - INRA, UP4 - Université Paris 4, Paris-Sorbonne - Université Paris IV - Paris Sorbonne - Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique)
Abstract:	This article sheds light on the important differences in self-declared happiness across countries of equivalent affluence. It hinges on the different happiness statements of natives and immigrants in a set of European countries to disentangle the influence of objective circumstances versus psychological and cultural factors. The latter turns out to be of non-negligible importance in explaining international heterogeneity in happiness. In some countries, such as France, they are mainly responsible for the country's unobserved idiosyncratic level of (un-)happiness.
Keywords:	Happiness ; Subjective Well-Being ; International Comparisons ; France ; Immigration ; European Social Survey
Date:	2011–10
URL:	http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00628837&r=hap

Yet, two more revisions to the Human Development Index

By:	Beja, Edsel Jr.
Abstract:	The Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI) was presented in the 20th anniversary edition of the Human Development Reports, in 2010. In using a penalty setup for the calculations of the IHDI, however, the results overestimate the adjustments on the HDI. This paper suggests a revision to the current procedure in order to make the calculations of the IHDI consistent with the attainment setup of the HDI. In turn, the paper also suggests another inequality adjustment that is based on the self-reported evaluations of domains.
Keywords:	Human Development Index; objective inequality; subjective inequality
JEL:	D63 C43 I31 O15 I32
Date:	2012–05–22
URL:	http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:38939&r=hap

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