Abstract
Abctract. This study attempts to examine the links between social development and happiness. Social development plays a very important role in increasing the level of happiness. Social development leads to better education, health and more economic growth. The analysis is captured by employing panel data of 125 countries over the period 2014-2018. The empirical analysis is based on Fixed Effects Method (FEM), Random Effects Method (REM), Instrumental Variable Fixed Effects Method (IVFE), Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) and Driscoll-Kraay Standard Errors. The empirical analysis demonstrates that social development has a positive impact on happiness. The study suggests that government should encourage such projects, which enhance the level of social development.
Keywords. Happiness, Social development.
JEL. D63, I30, I31.
References
Brehm, J., & Rahn, W. (1997). Individual-level evidence for the causes and consequences of social capital. American Journal of Political Science, 41(3), 999-1023. doi. 10.2307/2111684
Blanchflower, D.G., & Oswald, A.J. (2005). Happiness and the human development index: The paradox of Australia. Australian Economic Review, 38(3), 307-318. doi. 10.1111/j.1467-8462.2005.00377.x
Bjørnskov, C. (2008). Social capital and happiness in the United States. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 3(1), 43-62. doi. 10.1007/s11482-008-9046-6
Brereton, F., Clinch, J.P., & Ferreira, S. (2008). Happiness, geography and the environment. Ecological Economics, 65(2), 386-396. doi. 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2007.07.008
Bartolini, S., Bilancini, E., & Pugno, M. (2013). Did the decline in social connections depress Americans’ happiness? Social Indicators Research, 110(3), 1033-1059. doi. 10.1007/s11205-011-9971-x
Bilance, (1997). A world in balance – Balance stands for social development. Policy Paper. Oegstgeest, September.
Clark, A.E., & Oswald, A.J. (1994). Unhappiness and unemployment. The Economic
Journal, 104(424), 648-659. doi. 10.2307/2234639
Clark, A.E., & Oswald, A.J. (2002). A simple statistical method for measuring how life events affect happiness. International Journal of Epidemiology, 31(6), 1139-1144. doi. 10.1093/ije/31.6.1139
Cattaneo, M.D., Galiani, S., Gertler, P.J., Martinez, S., & Titiunik, R. (2009). Housing, health, and happiness. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 1(1), 75-105. 10.1257/pol.1.1.75
Cuñado, J., & de Gracia, F.P. (2012). Does education affect happiness? Evidence for Spain. Social Indicators Research, 108(1), 185-196. doi. 10.1007/s11205-011-9874-x
Cox, D., Gamlath, S., & Pawar, M. (1997). Social work and poverty alleviation in South Asia. Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, 7(2), 15-31. doi. 10.1080/21650993.1997.9755762
Di Tella, R., MacCulloch, R.J., & Oswald, A.J. (2001). Preferences over inflation and unemployment: Evidence from surveys of happiness. American Economic Review, 91(1), 335-341. doi. 10.1257/aer.91.1.335
Dolan, P., Peasgood, T., & White, M. (2008). Do we really know what makes us happy? A review of the economic literature on the factors associated with subjective well-being. Journal of Economic Psychology, 29(1), 94–122. doi. 10.1016/j.joep.2007.09.001
Daly, H.E. (1987). The economic growth debate: What some economists have learned but many have not. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 14(4), 323-336. doi. 10.1016/0095-0696(87)90025-8
Easterlin, R.A. (1974). Does economic growth improve the human lot? Some empirical evidence. In P.A. David, & M.W. Reder (Eds.), Nations and Households in Economic Growth, (pp.89-125). doi. 10.1016/b978-0-12-205050-3.50008-7
Easterlin, R.A. (1995). Will raising the incomes of all increase the happiness of all? Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 27(1), 35-47. doi. 10.1016/0167-2681(95)00003-B
Easterlin, R.A. (2010). Happiness, growth and the life cycle. Europe Journal of Psychology, 7(2), 395-398. doi. 10.1080/17439760.2012.711349
Frey, B.S., & Stutzer, A. (2000). Happiness, economy and institutions. The Economic Journal, 110(466), 918-938. doi. 10.1111/1468-0297.00570
Frey, B.S., & Stutzer, A. (2002). What can economists learn from happiness research?
Journal of Economic Literature, 40(2), 402-435. doi. 10.1257/002205102320161320
Griffin, J. (1986). Well-being: Its Meaning, Measurement, and Moral Importance. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
Gardner, J.W., & Varadan, V. K. (2001). Introduction to SAW devices. Microsensors, MEMS, and Smart Devices, 1, 303-317. doi. 10.1002/9780470846087.ch9
Gerdtham, U.G. & Johannesson, M. (2001). The relationship between happiness, health, and social economic factors: Results based on Swedish micro data. Journal of Socio Economics, 30(6), 553-557. doi. 10.1016/S1053-5357(01)00118-4
Ghamari, M. (2012). The relationship of social capital and happiness among high school students of Karaj city. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2(1), 353-363.
Graham, C. (2008). Happiness and health: Lessons—and questions—for public policy. Health Affairs, 27(1), 72-87. doi. 10.1377/hlthaff.27.1.72
Hirsch, F. (1976). Social Limits to Growth. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, MA.
Hezar J.J., & Safari, S.R. (2010). Investigation rate of hope for future and its effective factors among young people (Survey among Young People in Qom City).
Kawachi, I., Kennedy, B.P., Lochner, K., & Prothrow-Stith, D. (1997). Social capital, income inequality, and mortality. American Journal of Public Health, 87(9), 1491-1498. doi. 10.2105/AJPH.87.9.1491
Layard, R. (2003). The secrets of happiness. New Statesman, 3(3), 03.
Majeed, M.T., & Ajaz, T. (2018). Social capital as a determinant of population health outcomes: A global perspective. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, 12(1), 52-77.
Majeed, M.T., & Mumtaz, S. (2017). Happiness and environmental degradation: A global analysis. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, 11(3), 753-772.
Morawetz, D. (1977). Employment implications of industrialisation in developing countries: A survey. In Surveys of Applied Economics (pp.115-168). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Miller, E., & Buys, L. (2008). Does social capital predict happiness, health, and life satisfaction in an urban Australian community? Kotuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, 3(1), 15-20. doi. 10.1080/1177083X.2008.9522429
Mead, J.G. (1985). Social development in Nigeria: A case analysis. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 12(4), 850 -877.
Niazi, M., Ganji, M., Namvar, M.F., & Torenjipoor, F. (2016). Examining the relationship between social welfare and life satisfaction. IAU International Journal of Social Sciences, 6(3), 1-13.
Nussbaum, M.C. (1992). Human functioning and social justice: In defense of aristotelian essentialism. Political theory, 20(2), 202-246. doi. 10.1177/0090591792020002002
Oswald, A.J. (1997). Happiness and economic performance. Economic Journal, 107(445), 1815-1831. doi. 10.1111/j.1468-0297.1997.tb00085.x
Phillips, D.L. (1967). Social participation and happiness. American Journal of Sociology, 72(5), 479-488. doi. 10.1086/224378
Putnam, R. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New, Ny: Simon & Schuster. Community Development, 47(4), 562–573.
Scitovsky, T. (1976). The joyless economy: An inquiry into human satisfaction and
consumer dissatisfaction. The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 11(2), 147-149.
Sen, A. (1985). Commodities and Capabilities. Amsterdam: North-Holland.
Seligman, M.E.P. (2002). Authentic Happiness. New York: Free Press.
Tandoc, E.C., & Takahashi, B. (2013). The complex road to happiness: the influence of human development, a healthy environment and a free press. Social Indicators Research, 113(1), 537-550. doi. 10.1007/s11205-012-0109-6
Veenhoven, R. (1991). Is happiness relative? Social Indicators Research, 24(1), 1-34. doi. 10.1007/BF00292648
Veenhoven, R. (1994). Is happiness a trait? Test of the theory that a better society does not make people any happier. Social Indicator Research, 32, 101-160. doi. 10.1007/BF01078732
Veenhoven, R. (2000). Freedom and happiness: A comparative study in forty-four nations in the early 1990s. In E. Diener, & E. Suh (Eds.) ,Culture and Subjective Well-being, (pp.257-288).
Veenhoven, R. (2012). Social Development and Happiness in Nations: Presentation at conference. Taking stock: Measuring social development. ISD Working Paper Series, No.2012-03. [Retrieved from].
Winkelmann, L., & Winkelmann, R. (1998). Why are the unemployed so unhappy? Evidence from panel data. Economica, 65(257), 1-15. 10.1111/1468-0335.00111
Wadsworth, T. (2016). Marriage and subjective well-being: How and why context matters. Social Indicators Research, 126(3), 1025-1048. doi. 10.1007/s11205-015-0930-9
World Bank (2018). World Development Indicators. Washington, DC: World Bank. [Retrieved from].
