Sociology's Blind Eye for Happiness

Bibliographic Data

ID2299012
AuthorsRuut Veenhoven (0000-0002-5159-393X, Erasmus University Rotterdam, corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume13
Issue5
Pages537-555
Publication date2014-11-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueComparative Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1569-1322 • E-ISSN: 1569-1330
PublisherBrill (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1163/15691330-12341324
OpenAlexW2149601798
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited17

Empirical studies on happiness have found that: a) most people are happy in modern nations, b) average happiness in nations is rising, c) inequality in happiness is going down, d) happiness depends heavily on the kind of society one lives in, but e) not very much on one's place in society. These remarkable findings are largely ignored in sociology, if not denied. This has several reasons. One reason is professional bias: most sociologists earn their living dealing with social problems are therefore not apt to see that people flourish. Another reason is ideological: many sociologists are 'critical' of modern society and can therefore hardly imagine that people thrive in these conditions. Lastly, some sociological theories play them false, in particular cognitive theories implying that happiness is relative. These theories and the evidence against them are discussed in this paper

Economics · Happiness · Ideology · Inequality · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Social science · Sociology · Cultural Differences and Values · Law · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Social Psychology

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