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Community, comparisons and subjective well-being in a divided society
[journal article]
Abstract
Using South African data, the paper poses six questions about the determinants of subjective well-being. Much of the paper is concerned with the role of relative concepts. We find that comparator income, when measured as the average income of others in the local residential cluster, enters the house... view more
Using South African data, the paper poses six questions about the determinants of subjective well-being. Much of the paper is concerned with the role of relative concepts. We find that comparator income, when measured as the average income of others in the local residential cluster, enters the household's utility function positively (close neighbors are 'positives', not 'negatives'), but that the income of more distant others enters negatively. Race-based comparator groups are also important in racially divided South Africa. Relative income is more important to happiness at higher levels of absolute income. Potential explanations and implications of these results are considered.... view less
Classification
Macrosociology, Analysis of Whole Societies
General Sociology, Basic Research, General Concepts and History of Sociology, Sociological Theories
Free Keywords
Subjective well-being; Happiness; Comparator groups; Altruism; Envy; Relative deprivation; Standard-setting; Race; South Africa
Document language
English
Publication Year
2007
Page/Pages
p. 69-90
Journal
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 64 (2007) 1
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2007.03.004
Status
Postprint; peer reviewed
Licence
PEER Licence Agreement (applicable only to documents from PEER project)