Happiness, Social Cohesion and Income Inequalities in Britain and Japan

Dimitris Ballas (), Danny Dorling (), Tomoki Nakaya (), Helena Tunstall (), Kazumasa Hanaoka () and Tomoya Hanibuchi ()
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Dimitris Ballas: University of Sheffield
Danny Dorling: University of Oxford
Tomoki Nakaya: Ritsumeikan University
Helena Tunstall: University of Edinburgh
Kazumasa Hanaoka: Tohoku University
Tomoya Hanibuchi: Chukyo University

Chapter Chapter 8 in Advances in Happiness Research, 2016, pp 119-138 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The above quotation is from the popular book entitled “The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better”. This text describes the relationship between income distribution and well-being in affluent countries suggesting it is mediated through psychosocial pathways shaping the impacts of economic structure upon social relationships. In this model lower income inequality is seen to result in societies with more cohesion, greater trust and cooperation and lower social stress. Wilkinson and Pickett (2009) present evidence suggesting that social and economic policies affecting the income distribution of a society can make a huge difference to the psychosocial well-being of the whole populations of this society. For instance, according to the evidence used in this book if income inequality were halved in the UK then the murder rates in the country and obesity rates would also halve, mental illness could be reduced by two thirds, imprisonment could reduce by 80 %, teen births could reduce by 80 % and levels of trust could increase by 85 % (The Equality Trust 2011).

Keywords: Income Inequality; Income Distribution; Social Cohesion; Subjective Happiness; British Household Panel Survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1007/978-4-431-55753-1_8

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