This research project aims to explore the factors that contribute to the relatively low level of happiness in Italy, Greece, and Portugal, despite their high health status. By adopting a holistic and systemic approach, the study investigates nine different dimensions of well-being based on the Gross National Happiness (GNH) framework. The research utilizes simple and multiple linear regression analysis to assess the independent impact of various determinants on happiness. The variables considered include life expectancy, employment rate, educational attainment, income, good governance, feeling safe, cultural participation, leisure activities, and environmental factors. The data for the study is obtained from the World Happiness Report (WHR), Gallup World Poll, OECD databases, and other relevant sources. The findings demonstrate that while health and employment rate significantly influence happiness, other factors such as good governance, community vitality, and environmental quality also play significant roles. The results of this research have implications for informing public policies and identifying areas where interventions can enhance individual well-being.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Theoretical framework
3 Research Design
3.1 Methodology
3.2 Data
3.3 Description of variables
4 Results
5 Discussion and Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This research project explores the phenomenon of why certain countries, specifically Italy, Greece, and Portugal, exhibit relatively low levels of life satisfaction despite high health benchmarks. The study aims to uncover additional determinant factors beyond health that influence well-being by applying a systemic, holistic approach based on the Gross National Happiness (GNH) framework.
- Analysis of socio-economic determinants of happiness at the national level.
- Application of the Gross National Happiness (GNH) framework to explore multidimensional well-being.
- Use of simple and multiple linear regression (OLS) to assess factors influencing happiness scores.
- Investigation into the roles of employment, education, governance, community vitality, and income.
- Identification of country-specific happiness determinants for Italy, Greece, and Portugal.
Excerpt from the Book
1 Introduction
The recognition that a country’s standard of living cannot exclusively be measured by the GDP has led to the development, especially since the 2000s, of a number of instruments that attempt to provide a more complete picture of the well-being of a country’s inhabitants (Willmore, 2013). It has been shown that health plays a particularly important role and is an important predictor of happiness (Appleby, 2016). The Bloomberg Global Health Index (GHI) provides an index for the health status of 163 countries, based on key indicators, e.g. life expectancy, to determine the health status of a population. As expected, the majority of the 20 countries with the best health status in 2017 are also among the happiest countries, according to the World Happiness Report (WHR) 2018 of the UN (Sachs et al., 2018). However, there are exceptions like Portugal, Greece, Japan and Italy with a high GHI and low happiness score.
Greece is 20th in the GHI and 79th in the WHR and Italy ranks first in the GHI, but 47th in the WHR. Due to the availability of data, this work will focus on the cases of Italy, Greece and Portugal. The trend of relatively low life satisfaction in these countries is also reflected in other surveys, such as the Standard Eurobarometer 87 and 88, and in the European Social Survey 2016, in which only a larger number of Russians and Lithuanians than Italians state to be “extremely unhappy”. This suggests that there must be other determinant factors that contribute to or alleviate happiness. The aim of this research project is to find out more about the influence of these factors by taking a more holistic, systemic approach.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter highlights the discrepancy between high health rankings and low happiness scores in Italy, Greece, and Portugal, establishing the motivation for the systemic research approach.
2 Theoretical framework: This section reviews existing literature on socio-economic determinants of happiness and introduces the nine-dimensional Gross National Happiness (GNH) framework as the analytical basis.
3 Research Design: This chapter details the methodology, including the use of OLS regression analysis at the macro level, the data sources used (such as the Gallup World Poll and OECD databases), and the operationalization of variables.
4 Results: This chapter presents the statistical findings from the linear regression models, demonstrating the significant influence of employment rates and government satisfaction on happiness scores across the selected countries.
5 Discussion and Conclusion: This chapter critically reflects on the study's findings, acknowledges the limitations of aggregated measurement, and suggests policy implications regarding social measures and democratic strengthening.
Keywords
Happiness, Well-being, Gross National Happiness, Life Satisfaction, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Linear Regression, Socio-economic determinants, Employment rate, Good Governance, Health indicators, Systemic approach, Social measures, Life expectancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The research focuses on investigating why Italy, Greece, and Portugal report lower happiness scores despite having high health indices, moving beyond GDP as a primary measure of well-being.
What are the central thematic areas examined?
The study examines nine dimensions of well-being, including health, education, good governance, community vitality, living standards, and employment, based on the GNH framework.
What is the primary research question?
The paper asks why some countries exhibit relatively low happiness levels despite high health status, and which other factors determine happiness in Italy, Greece, and Portugal.
Which scientific methodology is applied in the study?
The researcher uses simple and multiple linear regression analysis (OLS) at the macro level, using various countries as units of analysis to test the impact of independent variables on the happiness score.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical framework of happiness, the data collection from various international datasets, the design of the regression models, and an analysis of the statistical findings.
What key terms summarize the work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Gross National Happiness, life satisfaction, socio-economic determinants, employment rate, and systemic analysis.
How does the study address the specific case of Portugal?
Portugal is identified as an outlier with high unexplained residuals in earlier models, suggesting that factors like community vitality play a more specific role there compared to Italy or Greece.
What role does the GNH framework play in the analysis?
The GNH framework serves as the structural foundation for selecting independent variables to provide a more holistic explanation of happiness than health indicators alone could offer.
Does the paper consider the limitations of happiness measurement?
Yes, the discussion section addresses potential errors in self-assessment, such as desirability bias and the contextual influences on how people evaluate their happiness.
- Citar trabajo
- Lea Lösch (Autor), 2019, Factors Shaping Well-being in Italy, Greece, and Portugal, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1362194
