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International Happiness

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  • Blanchflower, David G; Oswald, Andrew

    (Dartmouth College; University of Warwick)

Abstract

This paper describes the findings from a new, and intrinsically interdisciplinary, literature on happiness and human well-being. The paper focuses on international evidence. We report the patterns in modern data; we discuss what has been persuasively established and what has not; we suggest paths for future research. Looking ahead, our instinct is that this social-science research avenue will gradually merge with a related literature -- from the medical, epidemiological, and biological sciences -- on biomarkers and health. Nevertheless, we expect that intellectual convergence to happen slowly

Suggested Citation

  • Blanchflower, David G; Oswald, Andrew, 2011. "International Happiness," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 39, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
  • Handle: RePEc:cge:wacage:39
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    File URL: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/research/centres/cage/manage/publications/39.2011_oswald.pdf
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    4. Andreas Peichl & Nico Pestel, 2013. "Multidimensional Well‐Being at the Top: Evidence for Germany," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 34, pages 355-371, September.
    5. Mª del Salinas-Jiménez & Joaquín Artés & Javier Salinas-Jiménez, 2013. "How Do Educational Attainment and Occupational and Wage-Earner Statuses Affect Life Satisfaction? A Gender Perspective Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 367-388, April.
    6. Lous, Bjorn, 2020. "On free markets, income inequality, happiness and trust," Other publications TiSEM e2480eed-722b-4e2a-8e29-4, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    7. Graafland, J.J. & Compen, B., 2012. "Economic Freedom and Life Satisfaction : A Cross Country Analysis," Discussion Paper 2012-038, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    8. Aleksey A. ILYUKHIN & Svetlana V. ILYUKHINA, 2018. "Happiness Economics: The Role, Opinions and Evaluations by Young People," Upravlenets, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 9(2), pages 12-17, April.
    9. Piper, Alan T., 2012. "A Happiness Test of Human Capital Theory," MPRA Paper 43496, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Hellstrom, Caroline & Lapsley, Irvine, 2016. "Humour and happiness in an NPM world: Do they speak in jest?," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 51-64.
    11. Johan Graafland & Bart Compen, 2015. "Economic Freedom and Life Satisfaction: Mediation by Income per Capita and Generalized Trust," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 789-810, June.
    12. Małgorzata Szczepaniak & Agnieszka Szulc-Obloza, 2021. "Associations Between Job Satisfaction and Employment Protection in Selected European Union Countries," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(1), pages 542-554.
    13. Johan Graafland & Bjorn Lous, 2018. "Economic Freedom, Income Inequality and Life Satisfaction in OECD Countries," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(7), pages 2071-2093, October.
    14. Harald Strotmann & Jürgen Volkert, 2018. "Multidimensional Poverty Index and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 167-189, January.
    15. Piper, Alan, 2013. "A Note on Modelling Dynamics in Happiness Estimations," MPRA Paper 49364, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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