Happiness and Social Policy in Europe

by Bent Greve (Editor)

Overview

Happiness is currently a central focus for research in the social sciences. Using data from the European Social Survey the researchers analyse the relation between happiness and social policy across Europe.

The expert contributors demonstrate that research on happiness can inform welfare choices and policies and help promote job creation, social inclusion and to some degree, a higher level of equality. They highlight that whilst differences do exist amongst the countries studied, social policy has a role in increasing happiness throughout Europe. The interdisciplinary approach and geographical coverage greatly enhance our understanding of this critical relationship between happiness and social outcomes.

Happiness and Social Policy in Europe uniquely embraces the relationship between happiness, social policy and welfare state analysis. This enlightening work will strongly appeal to postgraduate students of social policy, sociology, economics and psychology. Researchers with an interest in comparative analysis, welfare states and happiness will also find this book invaluable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781848445741
Publisher:	Edward Elgar Publishing
Publication date:	07/28/2010
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Edited by Bent Greve, Professor in Social Science, Department of Social Sciences and Business, University of Roskilde, Denmark

Table of Contents

Contents:

1. Introduction
Bent Greve

2. Life Satisfaction and Happiness in the Czech Republic
TomአSirovátka and Steven Saxonberg

3. Happiness and the Welfare State in Slovakia
Miroslav BeblavÝ

4. Happiness in a Small Country: Luxembourg
Carlo Klein

5. Subjective Well-being in Germany: Evolutions, Determinants and Policy Implications
Heinz-Herbert Noll and Stefan Weick

6. Happiness in the United Kingdom
Bill Jordan

7. Happiness and Socio-economic Transformations in the Russian Federation
Alfio Cerami

8. Happiness in the Extensive Welfare State: Sweden in a Comparative European Perspective
Filip Fors

9. Happiness and Social Policy in Denmark
Bent Greve

10. Welfare and Happiness in Italy
Marco Zupi

11. Income Inequality and Happiness in 119 Nations: In Search for an Optimum that Does Not Appear to Exist
Maarten Berg and Ruut Veenhoven

Bibliography

Index

Editorial Reviews

‘Bent Greve takes us on an informative and intriguing intellectual journey across nine European countries that widely differ in cultural factors, institutional settings and government spending composition. . . The book is thus most suitable for policymakers and academics who are interested in a new discipline that fruitfully combines economics, psychology and sociology.’

Pierpaolo Perna