nep-hap New Economics Papers
on Economics of Happiness
Issue of 2018‒08‒13
six papers chosen by



  1. To Become a Cawir Metua: Life Satisfaction of The Karo Elderly A Social Security Case Study on The Karo Elderly in Lingga Village, Simpang Empat Sub-District, Tanah Karo Regency By Achmad, Nurman; Harahap, R. Hamdani; Nasution, M. Arif; Subhilhar, Subhilhar
  2. Unfairness at Work: Well-Being and Quits By Marta Barazzetta; Andrew E. Clark; Conchita D'Ambrosio
  3. Early-life correlates of later-life well-being: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study By Andrew E. Clark; Tom Lee
  4. The Long-Lasting Effects of Family and Childhood on Adult Wellbeing: Evidence from British Cohort Data By Sarah Flèche; Warn Lekfuangfu; Andrew E. Clark
  5. Behavioral Public Economics By B. Douglas Bernheim; Dmitry Taubinsky
  6. The Exploration of Subjective Well-being in the Context of Pakistan By Jamal, Haroon

  1. By: Achmad, Nurman; Harahap, R. Hamdani; Nasution, M. Arif; Subhilhar, Subhilhar
    Abstract: Elderly becomes one of the crucial issues faced by many countries in the world today. The composition of the elderly population is growing rapidly in both developed and developing countries. The increase in the number of elderly requires attention so that they not only live long but can enjoy their old age happily and improve the quality of their life. In some areas, large numbers of elderly people become burdensome if they have health problems resulting in increased health care costs, decreased income, increased disability, lack of social support and independence. This statement is not entirely true, because there are elderly who are still able to be independent to achieve life satisfaction. This study employed a qualitative approach to get a picture of life and concepts related to elderly life. Emik view of the power was used to analyze the life of elderly from Karo ethnicity. The data were collected by using participant observation and depth interview which was performed on five elderly families and questionnaires for 100 respondents of elderly Karo family in Lingga Village. The strength of informants in establishing rapport became the key of success in this Karo elderly research. The result of the research showed that Karo elderly felt shame if they have to live with their children or be dependent because it is the nature of a Karo person to be independent. It is reinforced by a very strong culture of shame. In addition, Karo people have a standard of life satisfaction which has been a part of their culture. It is the satisfaction of life when all of their children have married and have enough income. In Karo society, it is called Cawir Metua. Someone who has reached the Cawir Mertua is supposed to hold a party to tell people that he or she has achieved satisfaction in life.
    Keywords: Elderly; Shame Culture; Cawir Metua
    JEL: A13 H55 J28 P25
    Date: 2018–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:87766&r=hap
  2. By: Marta Barazzetta (Uni.lu - Université du Luxembourg); Andrew E. Clark (PSE - Paris School of Economics, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS Paris - École normale supérieure - Paris - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Conchita D'Ambrosio (Uni.lu - Université du Luxembourg)
    Abstract: We consider the effect of unfair income on both subjective well-being and objective future job quitting. In five waves of German Socio-Economic Panel data, the extent to which labour income is perceived to be unfair is significantly negatively correlated with subjective well-being, both in terms of cognitive evaluations (life and job satisfaction) and affect (the frequency of feeling happy, sad and angry). Perceived unfairness also translates into objective labour-market behaviour, with current unfair income predicting future job quits.
    Keywords: SOEP,quits,Fair income,subjective well-being
    Date: 2017–08
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-01431172&r=hap
  3. By: Andrew E. Clark (PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS Paris - École normale supérieure - Paris - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSE - Paris School of Economics); Tom Lee (Institute for Fiscal Studies)
    Abstract: We use data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) to consider the distal and proximal correlates of happiness and eudaimonia in later life. Even after controlling for proximal covariates, outcomes at age 18 (IQ score, parental income and parental education) remain good predictors of well-being over 50 years later. In terms of the proximal covariates, mental health and social participation are the strongest predictors of well-being. Although some factors are important in explaining both happiness and eudaimonia, there are notable differences between the two measures: well-being policy will thus depend to an extent on which measure is preferred.
    Keywords: depression,eudaimonia,health,Life-course,well-being
    Date: 2017–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-01570052&r=hap
  4. By: Sarah Flèche (Centre for Economic Performance - LSE - London School of Economics and Political Science); Warn Lekfuangfu (LSE - London School of Economics and Political Science, Chulalongkorn University (THAILAND) - Chulalongkorn University (THAILAND)); Andrew E. Clark (Centre for Economic Performance - LSE - London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE - London School of Economics and Political Science, PSE - Paris School of Economics, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS Paris - École normale supérieure - Paris - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
    Abstract: To what extent do childhood experiences continue to affect adult wellbeing over the life course? Previous work on this link has been carried out either at one particular adult age or for some average of adulthood. We here use two British birth-cohort datasets (the 1958 NCDS and the 1970 BCS) to map out the time profile of the effect of childhood on adult outcomes, including life satisfaction. We find that the effect of many aspects of childhood do not fade away over time, but are rather remarkably stable. In both birth cohorts child non-cognitive skills are the strongest predictors of adult life satisfaction at all ages. Of these, emotional health is the strongest. Childhood cognitive performance is more important than good conduct in explaining adult life satisfaction in the earlier cohort, whereas this ranking is inverted in the more recent BCS.
    Keywords: life satisfaction,cohort data,childhood,adult outcomes
    Date: 2017–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-01570057&r=hap
  5. By: B. Douglas Bernheim; Dmitry Taubinsky
    Abstract: This chapter surveys work in behavioral public economics, emphasizing the normative implications of non-standard decision making for the design of welfare-improving and/or optimal policies. We highlight combinations of theoretical and empirical approaches that together can produce robust qualitative and quantitative prescriptions for optimal policy under a range of assumptions concerning consumer behavior. The chapter proceeds in four parts. First, we discuss the foundations and methods of behavioral welfare economics, focusing on choice-oriented approaches and the measurement of self-reported well-being. Second, we examine commodity taxes and related policies: we summarize research on optimal corrective taxes, the efficiency costs of sales taxes that are not fully salient, the distributional effects of sin taxes, the use of non-price policies such as nudges, the tax treatment of giving, and luxury taxes. Third, we examine policies affecting saving, including capital income taxation, commitment opportunities, default contribution provisions for pension plans, financial education, and mandatory saving programs. Fourth, we detail the manner in which under-provision of labor supply and misunderstandings of policy instruments impact optimal labor income taxation and social insurance. We close with some recommendations for future work in behavioral public economics.
    JEL: H0
    Date: 2018–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24828&r=hap
  6. By: Jamal, Haroon
    Abstract: This paper contributes to the literature on the subjective well-being (SWB) by providing empirical evidence regarding the correlates of SWB in the context of Pakistan. Instead of using single measure of life satisfaction or happiness to represent the level of SWB, a composite index with four different aspects; overall life satisfaction, happiness, financial satisfaction and subjective health status is developed for Pakistan using World Value Survey 2012 data. Differences in self-reported evaluation of current well-being are statistically explored through socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics of respondents. The statistical exercise reveals that law and order situation or feeling ofinsecurity in neighborhood is the most significant factor which is impacting SWB with large negative marginal effect.Similarly, variables representing vulnerability to poverty and security are also statistically significant with an inverse relation with SWB. In contrast, the results reveal that religiosity plays a positive and significant role in explaining differences in SWB. Nonetheless, the marginal positive impact of religiosity is much less than the negative impacting factors.
    Keywords: Subjective Well-being, Life satisfaction, Happiness, Determinants, Pakistan
    JEL: I31 O53
    Date: 2018–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:87950&r=hap

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