Abstract
This article explores the political and intellectual influences behind the growth of interest in happiness and the emergence of the new 'science of happiness'. It offers a critique of the use of subjective wellbeing indicators within indexes of social and economic progress, and argues that the proposed United Kingdom's National Well-being Index is over-reliant on subjective measures. We conclude by arguing that the mainstreaming of happiness indicators reflects and supports the emergence of 'behavioural social policy'.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 139-157 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Policy & Politics |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 13 Feb 2013 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2013 |
Keywords
- happiness - subjective wellbeing - inequality - social indicators
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science
- Public Administration
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
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