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The Value of Autonomy for the Good Life: An Empirical Investigation of Autonomy and Life Satisfaction in Europe
[journal article]
Abstract This paper examines the association of opportunity and choice enhancing societal conditions and perceived autonomy with life satisfaction in Europe. Building on the capability approach, I investigate whether the positive effects of six basic functionings - safety, friendship, health, financial secur... view more
This paper examines the association of opportunity and choice enhancing societal conditions and perceived autonomy with life satisfaction in Europe. Building on the capability approach, I investigate whether the positive effects of six basic functionings - safety, friendship, health, financial security, leisure, and respect - on people’s life satisfaction are weaker when people have more opportunity and choice. This paper addresses two main questions: (1) Are people more satisfied with their life when they have more opportunity and choice? (2) Do basic functionings play a smaller role for life satisfaction in societies that enable more opportunity and choice and for individuals with more perceived autonomy? The analyses are based on the European Quality of Life Survey (2016), covering 36,460 individuals in 33 European countries and using multilevel linear regressions. My study finds that both choice and opportunity enhancing societal conditions and individual’s perceived autonomy are positively associated with on life satisfaction. Further, all six basic functionings are conducive to individual life satisfaction. The positive effects of health, financial security, respect, and friendship are reduced when people experience a great deal of autonomy over their lives. Societal conditions that provide people with more opportunity and choice further lower the positive effects of financial security, leisure, respect, and safety on individual life satisfaction. This corroborates the importance the capability approach attributes to individual opportunities and freedom of choice.... view less
Keywords
Eurobarometer; Europe; autonomy; satisfaction with life; competence; security; friendship; health; leisure time; respect; equal opportunity
Classification
General Sociology, Basic Research, General Concepts and History of Sociology, Sociological Theories
Free Keywords
capability approach; opportunity and choice; basic functionings; Eurobarometer 83.3 (2015) (ZA5998 v2.0.0)
Document language
English
Publication Year
2021
Page/Pages
p. 693-723
Journal
Social Indicators Research, 154 (2021) 2
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-020-02565-8
ISSN
1573-0921
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed