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The art of living well: Cultural participation and well-being

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  • Fabrice Murtin

Abstract

This paper first presents a meta-analysis of the causal impact of cultural participation on well-being. The meta-analysis classifies the literature according to the strength of the evidence available and various types of cultural activities. Secondly, this paper uses data from time use surveys from Canada, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States to study individuals’ emotional responses to a series of daily activities. This is then used as a basis for an empirical assessment of the drivers of time allocation across different activities, showing that expectations of future well-being are one of the reasons why individuals decide to engage in cultural activities. Furthermore, the model helps explain why cultural participation, in spite of being one of the most enjoyable human activities, is also the least undertaken. We show that heterogeneity of preferences results in a strong selection effect in available statistics.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabrice Murtin, 2024. "The art of living well: Cultural participation and well-being," OECD Papers on Well-being and Inequalities 21, OECD Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:oec:wiseaa:21-en
    DOI: 10.1787/0219e248-en
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Daniel Wheatley & Craig Bickerton, 2017. "Subjective well-being and engagement in arts, culture and sport," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 41(1), pages 23-45, February.
    2. Jennifer Brown & Ronald MacDonald & Richard Mitchell, 2015. "Are People Who Participate in Cultural Activities More Satisfied with Life?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 122(1), pages 135-146, May.
    3. Victoria Ateca-Amestoy & Mariana Gerstenblüth & Irene Mussio & Máximo Rossi, 2014. "How do Cultural Activities Influence Happiness? The Relation Between Self-Reported Well-Being and Leisure," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0614, Department of Economics - dECON.
    4. Bavishi, Avni & Slade, Martin D. & Levy, Becca R., 2016. "A chapter a day: Association of book reading with longevity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 44-48.
    5. Daniel Kahneman & Alan B. Krueger, 2006. "Developments in the Measurement of Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 20(1), pages 3-24, Winter.
    6. Alex Michalos & P. Kahlke, 2010. "Arts and the Perceived Quality of Life in British Columbia," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 96(1), pages 1-39, March.
    7. Sarah Flèche & Conal Smith, 2017. "Time use surveys and experienced well-being in France and the United States," OECD Statistics Working Papers 2017/7, OECD Publishing.
    8. Alan Krueger & Daniel Kahneman & Claude Fischler & David Schkade & Norbert Schwarz & Arthur Stone, 2009. "Time Use and Subjective Well-Being in France and the U.S," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 93(1), pages 7-18, August.
    9. Alessandro Crociata & Massimiliano Agovino & Pier Sacco, 2014. "Cultural Access and Mental Health: An Exploratory Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(1), pages 219-233, August.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    arts; cultural activities; experienced well-being; time use survey; U-index; well-being;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • Z11 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economics of the Arts and Literature
    • Z18 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Public Policy

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