Inequality and happiness: Insights from Latin America

被引：13

作者：

Graham C. ^{[1
]}

Felton A. ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, Washington, DC 20036

来源：

The Journal of Economic Inequality | 2006年 / 4卷 / 1期

关键词：

Happiness; Inequality; Latin America; Subjective well-being;

D O I：

10.1007/s10888-005-9009-1

中图分类号：

学科分类号：

摘要：

Inequality is a contentious topic in economics, and its effect on individual welfare remains an open question. We address this question from the perspective of a novel approach in economics - the study of happiness. In this discussion, we draw from our research on the topic, which is based on new empirical evidence from Latin America. We find several differences from studies conducted in the United States and Europe, especially regarding the role of perceptions of mobility and status. We find that inequality has negative effects on happiness in Latin America, where it seems to be a signal of persistent unfairness. Our research also examines the effects of several variables, including wealth, status, and reference group size, on the link between inequality and happiness, with the presumption that these variables can help us identify the channels through which inequality operates as a signaling mechanism. © Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2006.

引用

页码：107 / 122

页数：15

共 27 条

[1]

Aitchison J., Brown J.A.C., The Lognormal Distribution, With Special Reference to Its Use in Economics, (1957)

[2]

Alesina A., Di Tella R., MacCulloch R., Inequality and happiness: Are Europeans and Americans different?, Journal of Public Economics, 88, pp. 2009-2042, (2004)

[3]

Benabou R., Ok E., Social Mobility and the Demand for Redistribution: The POUM Hypothesis, (1998)

[4]

Birdsall N., Behrman J., Szekely M., Pobreza, Desigualdad, y Liberalización Comercial y Financiera en América Latina, Liberalización, Desigualdad, Y Pobreza: América Latina Y El Caribe En Los 1990s, (2001)

[5]

Blanchflower D., Oswald A., Well-being over time in Britain and the USA, Journal of Public Economics, 88, pp. 1359-1387, (2004)

[6]

Clark A., Inequality-aversion and income mobility: A direct test, (2003)

[7]

Clark A., Oswald A., Unhappiness and unemployment, Economic Journal, 104, pp. 648-659, (1994)

[8]

Cummins R., Gullone E., The Universality of Subjective Wellbeing Indicators: A Multi-disciplinary and Multi-national Perspective, (2002)

[9]

Diener E., Biswas-Diener R., Income and subjective well-being: Will money make us happy?, (2000)

[10]

Di Tella R., MacCulloch R., Income, happiness and inequality as measures of welfare, (2003)

← 1 2 3 →