This paper has been written as an essay for an undergraduate course and is six pagers long.
This essay will examine the relation between social capital and happiness. So far, much research has been conducted in the field of social capital in order to test and define its far reaching influence. Social capital has not only received tremendous attention from the social scientists, but also from economists. Research has focused on the implications of social capital and the political system and has examined the relation of social capital and growth. So far, however, little research has been conducted to link social capital and happiness. Both aspects are intrinsic to human action and are essential for understanding human development and behavior. Hence, the research question of this paper is: Is there a relation between social capital and happiness? If yes, what are possible policy implications?
To answer the posed research question this paper will first give a short literature review of the terms social capital and happiness and formulate a research hypothesis. Second, this paper will identify and analyze data from the fifth wave of the World Value Survey to assess the relation between social capital and happiness. Finally, the findings will be summarized and policy implications developed.
This paper has been written as an essay for an undergraduate course and is six pagers long.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1 Social Capital
2.2 Happiness
3. Testing
4. Conclusion and Policy Implications
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the relationship between social capital and happiness, testing whether social capital influences happiness on a country level by analyzing data from the fifth wave of the World Value Survey.
- Theoretical exploration of social capital and happiness definitions.
- Quantitative analysis using World Value Survey data across OECD countries.
- Evaluation of the correlation between various dimensions of social capital and reported happiness.
- Development of policy implications based on the identified positive relation.
Excerpts from the Book
Social Capital
The origins in the theory of social capital as it is used today can be found in the research of Pierre Bourdieu, Coleman and Robert Putnam (Portes, 1998). All three researchers, however, had slightly different definitions and applications in mind for the broad concept of social capital. The main idea of social capital is that relationships and social networks are important and enable us via trust, collaboration and communication to work efficiently in an environment inherent with uncertainties (Field, 2012). The more precise implications and definitions of social capital, however, vary. Bourdieu, for example, saw social capital in light of the workings of the French society during the 20th century. He defined social capital as “[…] the sum of resources, actual or virtual, that accrue to an individual or a group by virtue of possessing a durable network of more or less institutionalised relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition.” (Bourdieu & Wacquant, 1992, p. 119). To him, social capital was decisive in explaining the class structures and its stability. James Coleman, on the other hand, was using social capital as a concept in the field of education. In his paper “Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital” (1988), he examined high school dropout rates with reference to the social capital of the parents of the student. The, by far, most popular and extensive introduction of social capital was conducted by Robert Putnam (Häuber, 2010). According to Putnam 1995, “‘social capital’ refers to features of social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit.” (p. 66). In general, however, little attention has been paid to the relation of social capital and happiness.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the research gap regarding the link between social capital and happiness and presents the central research question.
2. Literature Review: This section reviews existing theoretical frameworks of social capital (Bourdieu, Coleman, Putnam) and happiness, highlighting the lack of integrated research.
3. Testing: This chapter describes the methodology for sample selection from the World Value Survey and performs a linear regression analysis to identify correlations.
4. Conclusion and Policy Implications: This chapter summarizes the findings of a positive relationship and suggests policies to foster social capital as a cost-effective way to increase national happiness.
Keywords
Social Capital, Happiness, World Value Survey, OECD, Trust, Civic Engagement, Subjective Wellbeing, Social Networks, Linear Regression, Policy Implications, Human Development, Social Organization, Economic Growth, Membership, Correlation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on investigating the relationship between social capital and happiness, testing how social structures influence individual and national happiness levels.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The research covers the theory of social capital, definitions of happiness, quantitative data analysis from the World Value Survey, and the practical application of these findings in public policy.
What is the primary research question?
The main question is whether there is a measurable relation between social capital and happiness, and what potential policy implications arise from this connection.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a quantitative approach, specifically linear regression analysis, based on data from the fifth wave of the World Value Survey, controlled for democracy levels and GDP per capita.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the paper?
The main body discusses theoretical foundations, the operationalization of variables such as trust and civic membership, and the presentation of statistical evidence regarding the correlation between these variables and happiness.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Social Capital, Happiness, World Value Survey, Trust, Civic Engagement, and Policy Implications.
Why did the author specifically exclude certain countries like Belgium and Austria?
These countries were excluded because they were not part of the fifth wave of the World Value Survey, making their data incompatible with the requirements for the analysis sample.
What was the most surprising discovery regarding trust?
The research found a surprisingly low correlation between the dimension of "trust" and happiness, which contradicts some existing literature suggesting trust is a key driver of happiness.
How does the author interpret the high correlation between environmental organization membership and happiness?
The author suggests that membership in environmental organizations might lead to happiness, although it is noted that the inverse—that happier people are more likely to join such groups—cannot be entirely ruled out.
- Citation du texte
- Henrike Diesing (Auteur), 2013, The Relation of Happiness and Social Capital. Analysis based on the World Value Survey, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/338873
