The Library
Happiness and the standard of living : the case of South Africa
Tools
Tools
Tools
Powdthavee, Nattavudh (2007) Happiness and the standard of living : the case of South Africa. In: Bruni , Luigino and Porta, Pier Luigi , (eds.) Handbook on the Economics of Happiness. Edward Elgar Publishing., pp. 447-486. ISBN 9781843768265
Research output not available from this repository.
Request-a-Copy directly from author or use local Library Get it For Me service.
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781847204158.00030
Abstract
Nattavudh Powdthavee* 1. Introduction An advert for Oxfam1 appeals asks people in the UK, ‘What do we dream for our children?’. If we were then to stop and think about the question for a minute, most of us would probably respond with success and health. However, according to Oxfam, a more natural response would have been happiness – or more simply, a ‘good life’ – for our children. The question then is what constitutes happiness? A review of research on well-being by Wilson (1967: p. 294) suggests that happiness comes from being young, healthy, welleducated, well-paid, religious, married with high self-esteem and job morale, modest aspirations, of either sex and of a wide range of intelligence. Oxfam, on the other hand, mentions none of the above in their list of possible answers. Rather, the things that constitute a good life for our children – at least in the developing countries that would receive aid – are more likely to be food, drinking water, and a shelter that they could call home. The significant difference in the possible replies to Oxfam’s happiness question, though it may seem predictable to many, raises some very important questions. If individuals’ perception of what makes a good life depends crucially on how the normative framework for evaluation is formed, can we still then be reasonably satisfied with the conclusion that being married and young, highly paid with low aspirations, healthy and well-educated are all it takes to be global requirements for human happiness and well-being...
| Item Type: | Book Item | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School | ||||
| Publisher: | Edward Elgar Publishing. | ||||
| ISBN: | 9781843768265 | ||||
| Book Title: | Handbook on the Economics of Happiness | ||||
| Editor: | Bruni , Luigino and Porta, Pier Luigi | ||||
| Official Date: | 2007 | ||||
| Dates: |
|
||||
| Number of Pages: | 640 | ||||
| Page Range: | pp. 447-486 | ||||
| DOI: | 10.4337/9781847204158.00030 | ||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
