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Subjective Wellbeing: Telling Only Half the Story

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  • Richard Eckersley

Abstract

A new paper presents a strong case for life satisfaction scales (Diener et al. in Soc Indic Res, 2012 ). However, it underestimates two important weaknesses in subjective wellbeing (SWB) measures: the contrast between individual satisfaction and social discontent; and the contradictory evidence on the benefits of personal freedom. This commentary argues that SWB, like other conventional indicators, is measuring Westernization or modernization, rather than improved quality of life or human progress and development. The concepts may overlap, but they are not the same thing. At best, the qualities being measured may be desirable, even necessary, but are not sufficient. At worst, the benefits of modernization are being counted, but not its costs, which are substantial and increasing. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

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  • Richard Eckersley, 2013. "Subjective Wellbeing: Telling Only Half the Story," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 112(3), pages 529-534, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:112:y:2013:i:3:p:529-534
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-013-0239-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Richard Eckersley, 2000. "The Mixed Blessings of Material Progress: Diminishing Returns in the Pursuit of Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 1(3), pages 267-292, September.
    2. Richard Eckersley, 2009. "Population Measures of Subjective Wellbeing: How Useful are they?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 94(1), pages 1-12, October.
    3. Eckersley, Richard & Dear, Keith, 2002. "Cultural correlates of youth suicide," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 55(11), pages 1891-1904, December.
    4. Richard Eckersley, 2000. "The State and Fate of Nations: Implications of Subjective Measures of Personal and Social Quality of Life," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 3-27, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Eefje Steenvoorden, 2015. "A General Discontent Disentangled: A Conceptual and Empirical Framework for Societal Unease," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 124(1), pages 85-110, October.
    2. Pia S. Schober & Christian Schmitt, 2013. "Day-Care Expansion and Parental Subjective Well-Being: Evidence from Germany," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 602, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    3. Jeremy Heald & Erick Trevi~no Aguilar, 2020. "Does Subjective Well-being Contribute to Our Understanding of Mexican Well-being?," Papers 2004.11420, arXiv.org.
    4. Stanley, John K. & Hensher, David A. & Stanley, Janet R. & Vella-Brodrick, Dianne, 2021. "Valuing changes in wellbeing and its relevance for transport policy," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 16-27.
    5. Hadsell, Lester & Jones, Adam T, 2020. "The company you keep: Satisfaction with life, economic freedom, and preference-policy mismatch," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 642-657.

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