From Capabilities to Contentment: Links between Happiness and Human Development
description
Transcript of From Capabilities to Contentment: Links between Happiness and Human Development
From Capabilities to Contentment: Links between Happiness and Human
Development
Jon Hall, HDRO, UNDP
Binocular Vision
A Spare Eye
A Wider Field of View
Spotting Faint Objects
Depth Perception
Happiness & Human Development … Common Origins
“Our metrics are important not just because they tell us how we are doing but because they serve as guides in policy-making…. GDP measures the busy-ness of our economy. But the big question is whether we are busy doing the right things. Making your economy grow more will not necessarily get you the things that people really want.
Our preoccupation with GDP makes it difficult for politicians to back policies that are good for society and for the environment but which might not result in an increase in GDP..” Joseph StiglitzNobel Laureate
Happiness & Human Development … Strange Bedfellows?
Happiness & Human Development … Strange
Bedfellows?“A grumbling rich man may well be less happy than a contented peasant, but he does have a higher standard of living than that peasant”
Amartya Sen
Happiness & Human Development … Strange
Bedfellows?Our overall happiness - how we feel about our lives - is what matters to us most.
Richard Layard
Happiness & Human Development can Help Each
Other
Measurable Desirable
Human Development
Partially Yes, by definition
Life Satisfaction Yes Usually yes (but not necessarily)
Life Satisfaction vs the HDI
34
56
78
.2 .4 .6 .8 1Human Development Index (HDI)
95% CI Fitted valuesOverall Life Evaluation
Life Satisfaction vs the HDI – Controlling for Income
23
45
67
.2 .4 .6 .8 1Nonincome HDI
95% CI Fitted valuesLife Evaluation Net Effect of Income
Life Satisfaction and its Correlates
HDI Job Satisfaction
Perceptions of Safety
Economic Conditions
Trust in Government
Government Effectiveness
Freedom of choice
Inequality
Coefficient
4.813*** 6.305*** 1.685*** 1.08* -0.595 0.818*** 4.454*** -6.027***
Constant 2.167*** 0.705* 4.342*** 5.00*** 5.734*** 5.429*** 2.208*** 6.694***
Adj- RSq 0.584 0.599 0.049 0.02 0.002 0.535 0.312 0.335
N. 152 152 148 151 133 152 151 124
It is better to be blind than to see things only from one point of view
Indian Proverb