1. HAPPINESS

2. Job Advertisement: Happiness Director A new movement will be launched in September in which individuals will commit to work for more happiness in the world and less misery Wanted: a director to bring happiness to the world. Must have a vision of society in which people are motivated by more than just money. Salary: circa 80,000(The Times, 29/03/10)2 3. Structure1. Theoretical Approaches 2. Happiness and Policy 3. Measuring Happiness 4. Happy Newcastle? 5. Ways Forward 3 4. 1. THEORETICAL APPROACHES Aristotle: virtuous conduct and philosophical reflection Jeremy Bentham: The Greatest Happiness Principle Kant: Happiness as imagined4 5. Happiness as a New Science An objective measure Influenced by genes and levels of brain activity Affected by:1. Family relationships2. Financial situation3. Work4. Community and friends5. Health 5 6. The Economics of Happiness GDP versus life satisfaction in the UK, 1973-2002 (Source: after NEF 2004)6 7. Findings of the Sarkozy Commission (2009)Five Problems with GDP as a measure of development:1. Difficult to measure locally 2. Statistical inaccuracies (e.g. informal economy) 3. Misleading outcomes (includes prison spending) 4. Negates inequality 5. Conceptually inappropriate7 8. 2. HAPPINESS AND POLICY If happiness isnt a political issue, whats the point of politics? Andrew Marr 81% of the general public agreed with the statement that the ultimate aim of government should be for the greatest happiness, rather than the greatest wealth BBC Poll 2006 However, many Neoliberal commentators argue that Governments cannot make us happy Wolf 2007 The small issue of the Recession 8 9. Quality of growth matters; not just quantity. Gordon Brown, former Prime MinisterImproving our societys sense of wellbeing is,I believe, the central political challenge of our times.David Cameron, Prime MinisterForever buying more and more things does notimprove our wellbeing and cannot be sustainedwith the Earths finite resources.Jo Swinson, Liberal Democrat MPSource: Young Foundation(2010) 9 10. So Can we make happiness the ultimate goal of UK politics?This makes politicians nervous: - Whose happiness? (Working class? Elderly? City dwellers?) - Problems of progressive taxation - Result: the ultimate Nanny State? More sensible (and realistic) perhaps to use research on happiness to guide politics.Aim: the happy (unselfish) variety of CapitalismDeutsche Bank 2006, James 200710 11. 3. MEASURING HAPPINESS How do we measure happiness? Is it possible to just ask? Happy people or happy places? (Ballas & Dorling 2007) How are we doing in the North East? 11 12. 1Groningen (NL)26 Strasbourg (FR) 51 Manchester (UK)2Krakw (PL) 27 Dortmund (DE) 52 Riga (LV)3Leipzig (DE)28 Helsinki (FI) 53 Lige (BE)4Aalborg (DK)29 Bordeaux (FR) 54 Rotterdam (NL)5Kbenhavn (DK)30 Amsterdam (NL)55 Torino (IT)6Newcastle upon Tyne 31 Lille (FR)56 Berlin (DE)7Cluj-Napoca (RO)32 Wien (AT) 57 Bruxelles / Brussel (BE)8Luxembourg (LU) 33 Ljubljana (SL)58 Warszawa (PL)EU 9Gda sk (PL) 34 Cardiff (UK)59 Ankara (TR)Perception 10 Oulu (FI) 35 Dublin (IE) 60 Antalya (TR)Survey 11 Hamburg (DE)36 Stockholm (SE)61 Madrid (ES)12 Piatra Neam (RO) 37 Bologna (IT)62 Marseille (FR)13 Mlaga (ES) 38 Barcelona (ES)63 Sofia (BG)14 Graz (AT) 39 Praha (CZ)64 Lefkosia (CY)15 Tallinn (EE)40 Bia ystok (PL)65 Budapest (HU)2006 16 Koice (SK) 41 Ostrava (CZ)66 Valletta (MT)17 Mnchen (DE)42 Roma (IT) 67 Miskolc (HU)18 Oviedo (ES) 43 Malm (SE)68 Palermo (IT)19 Rennes (FR) 44 Antwerpen (BE)69 London (UK)20 Burgas (BG) 45 Glasgow (UK)70 Frankfurt an der Oder (DE)21 Verona (IT) 46 Irakleio (EL) 71 Diyarbak r (TR) 22 Braga (PT)47 Lisboa (PT) 72 Bucure ti (RO) 23 Vilnius (LT)48 Paris (FR)73 Istanbul (TR)24 Belfast (UK)49 Essen (DE)74 Napoli (IT)25 Zagreb (HR) 50 Bratislava (SK) 75 Athina (EL) 12 13. British Household Panel Survey Percentage of individuals (by social class) who answered that they were less happy or much less happy to the BHPS question: Have you recently been feeling reasonably happy, all things considered?Source: after Ballas (2009) 13 14. 4. HAPPY NEWCASTLE? Residents Survey 2009Q31. All things considered, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your life as a whole nowadays? Very Satisfied Fairly Satisfied Neither Satisfied Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Dont know nor dissatisfied What are the different geographies of happiness within Newcastle? 14 15. 15 16. 16 17. 17 18. 18 19. 19 20. Implications for the Local Development Framework Currently agreed happiness targets: NI 004: % of people who feel they can influence decisions intheir locality NI 021: Dealing with local concerns about anti-social behaviour and crime by the local council and police NI 116: Proportion of children in poverty NI 119: Self-reported measure of people's overall health and wellbeing NI 140: Fair treatment by local services NI 155: Number of affordable homes delivered (gross) NI 158: % non-decent council homes 20 21. Implications for the Local Development Framework Additional happiness targets: NI 002: % of people who feel they belong to their neighbourhood NI 017: Perceptions of anti-social behaviour NI 023: Perceptions that people in the area treat one another with respect and dignity NI 050: Emotional health of children NI 110: Young peoples participation in positive activities NI 118: Take up of formal childcare by low-income working families NI 160: Local Authority tenants satisfaction with landlord services NI 176: Working age people with access to employment by public 21transport (and other specified modes) 22. Implications for the Sustainable Community Strategy A targeting of unhappier wards for policy interventions A focus on meeting the needs of parents and children A re-emphasis on efforts to develop the relationship between the council and the residents of Newcastle An investigation into the quality of housing available to residents An extension of the concept of wellbeing beyond the parameters of health and welfare22 23. How do we measure happiness? Is it possible to just ask? Happy people or happy places? (Ballas & Dorling 2007) Ask friends and family (Layard 2007) Explore the impact of Major Life Events Capture it at three scales (Young Foundation 2010)23 24. Methodological Implications Q31. All things considered, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your life as a whole nowadays? Very Satisfied Fairly Satisfied Neither Satisfied Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Dont know nor dissatisfied Phrasing of question Placement of the question within the Residents Survey Addition of Major Life Events 24 25. Alternative Residents Survey Q.1 Have you been recently feeling reasonably happy, all things considered?Much more so More soMuch the same Less so Much less soDont KnowQ.2 Over the last year, what single factor has had the biggest influence onyour happiness? Health related event(s) EducationEmployment Leisure Births and DeathsRelationships FinanceOtherQ.42 If you could improve one aspect of your life, what would it be?HealthEducationWork fulfilmentLeisure timeFamily Community and friends Financial situation Housing Other25 26. 5. WAYS FORWARD (a) Building up the evidence base Collect more data:-- re-design elements of the Residents Survey-- explore the relationship between perception and objective measure-- investigate the geographies of these patterns -- conduct more qualitative work Use this data through more extensive data analysis Be more critical of the methods used to collect happiness data 26 27. (b) Using the evidence Look to get the methodological balance right before weighing up policy decisions based on happiness research Investigate the ways in which quality of housing, community safety and trust in the council influence happiness in Ncl Relate the happiness agenda in Newcastle to a wider set of life circumstancesUse this research (when complete) to guide decision making at the Council27 28. FURTHER INFORMATIONwww.slideshare.net/3008828 29. QUESTIONS? 30. The Kingdom of Bhutan Happiness as the national indicator Total ban on advertising Shopkeepers forbidden from displaying Coca Cola signs Plastic bags banned Voluntarily low GDP/capita (BBC 2006, Bok 2010, Layard 2007) 30 31. Wellbeing Measures (Defras Sustainable Development Agenda) _ Those measures that are numbered are existing sustainable development indicators, along with any related supplementary wellbeing measures: - 39. Fear of crime - Perceptions of anti-social behaviour41. Workless households43. Childhood poverty45. Pensioner poverty 47. Education 50. Healthy life expectancy - Self-reported general health - Self-reported long-standing illness 51. Mortality rates (suicide) - Mortality rates for those with severe mental illness31 32. 57. Accessibility 59. Social justice 60. Environmental equality62. Housing conditions66. Satisfaction with local area - Trust in people in neighbourhood - Influencing local and national decisions 68. Wellbeing - Overall life satisfaction - Positive and negative feelings - Engagement in positive activities- Local environment - Positive and negative feelings - Feelings of safety - Health and physical activity- Bullying - Green space - Cultural participation - Positive mental health32 33. Recommendations of the Young Foundation (2010)1. School lessons to build up childrens resilience 2. Health provision that gives more weight to patient experience andwellbeing 3. Community projects that encourage neighbour interaction 4. Parenting programmes that support parents wellbeing (as well aschildrens) 5. Support to isolated older people to maintain social networks 6. Apprenticeships and programmes for teenagers that strengthenpsychological fitness 7. Planning, transport and school policies that encourage moreexercise 8. Transport and economic policies that encourage lower commuting 33times 34. France: Sarkozys 10 indicators Work-life balance Traffic congestion Mood Chores Recycling Gratification Insecurity Gender Equality Tax Relationships34 35. Survey Question Topic Cramer's V1Place 0.4252House 0.32511 Council 0.31115 Decisions 0.20919 Volunteering0.12826 Safety0.29133 Housing 0.37237 Fruit 0.06539 Fitness 0.16635