Skip to main content

Effects of Socioeconomic, Political, Cultural, and Other Macro Factors on QOL

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Psychology of Quality of Life

Part of the book series: Social Indicators Research Series ((SINS,volume 50))

Abstract

I begin Part II of the book by a chapter that addresses the effects of objective reality on subjective aspects of QOL at the most macrolevel addressing the effects of socioeconomic, political, cultural, and other macrofactors. Country-level economic effects on subjective aspects of QOL will be discussed first, followed by political factors, followed by cultural factors. However, we start the chapter by providing the reader with a theoretical model to better understand the mediating effects between the macrofactors and subjective aspects of QOL.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahuvia, A. C. (2001). Individualism/collectivism and cultures of happiness: A theoretical conjecture on the relationship between consumption, culture and subjective well-being at the national level. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3, 23–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alesina, A., Di Tella, R., & MacCulloch, R. (2000). Inequality and happiness: Are Europeans and Americans different? (National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 8198). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alesina, A., Di Tella, R., & MacCulloch, R. (2004). Inequality and happiness: Are Europeans and Americans different? Journal of Public Economics, 88, 2009–2042.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, R. P., Wong, N., & Yi, Y. (1999). The role of culture and gender in the relationship between positive and negative affect. Cognition and Emotion, 13, 641–672.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, W., van der Maesen, L., Thomese, F., & Walker, A. (2001). Social quality: A vision for Europe. The Hague, the Netherlands: Kluwer Law International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, W., van der Maesen, L., & Walker, A. (1997). The social quality of Europe. The Hague, the Netherlands: Kluwer Law International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blanchflower, D. G., & Oswald, A. (2000). Well-being over time in Britain and the USA (NBER Working Paper 7487). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bockerman, P., & Ilmakunnas, P. (2006). Elusive effects of unemployment on happiness. Social Indicators Research, 79, 159–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohnke, P. (2008). Does society matter? Life satisfaction in the enlarged Europe. Social Indicators Research, 87, 189–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bok, D. (2010). The politics of happiness. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, C.-K., & Leung, K. (2007). Enhancing life satisfaction by government accountability in China. Social Indicators Research, 82, 411–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, C.-K., & Leung, K. (2008). Ways by which comparable income affects life satisfaction in Hong Kong. Social Indicators Research, 87, 169–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, C.-K., & Leung, K. (2010). Ways that social change predicts quality of life. Social Indicators Research, 96, 459–477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, A. E. (2003). Unemployment as a social norm: Psychological evidence from panel data. Journal of Labor Economics, 21, 323–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, A. E., Diener, E., Georgellis, Y., & Lucas, R. E. (2008). Lags and leads in life satisfaction: A test of the baseline hypothesis, The Economic Journal, 118, F222–F243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, A. E., & Oswald, A. J. (1994). Unhappiness and unemployment. The Economic Journal, 104, 648–659.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Tella, R., & MacCulloch, R. (1999). Partisan social happiness [Mimeograph]. Boston: Harvard Business School.

    Google Scholar 

  • Di Tella, R., MacCulloch, R., & Oswald, A. (2001). Preferences over inflation and unemployment: Evidence from surveys of happiness. American Economic Review, 91, 335–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Tella, R., MacCulloch, R., & Oswald, A. (2003). The macroeconomics of happiness. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 85, 809–827.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Diener, M. (1995). Cross-cultural correlates of life satisfaction and self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 653–663.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Diener, M., & Diener, C. (1995). Factors predicting the subjective well-being of nations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 851–864.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Beyond money: Toward an economy of well-being. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 5, 1–31. Republished in E. Diener (Ed.). (2009). The science of well-being: The collected works of Ed Diener (pp. 201–265). Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dolan, P., Peasgood, T., & White, M. P. (2008). Do we really know what makes us happy? A review of the economic literature on factors associated with subjective well-being. Journal of Economic Psychology, 29, 94–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donovan, N., & Halpern, D. (2002). Life satisfaction: The state of knowledge and implications for government. London: UK Government Cabinet Office, Strategy Unit.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dorn, D., Fischer, J. A. V., Kirchgassner, G., & Sousa-Poza, A. (2008). Direct democracy and life satisfaction revisited: New evidence for Switzerland. Journal of Happiness Studies, 9, 227–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emmons, R. A. (1991). Personal strivings, daily life events, and psychological and physical well-being. Journal of Personality, 59, 453–472.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flavin, P., Pacek, A. C., & Radcliff, B. (2010). Labor unions and life satisfaction: Evidence from new data. Social Indicators Research, 98, 435–449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B. S., & Stutzer, A. (2002). Happiness and economics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garhammer, M. (2002). Pace of life and enjoyment of life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3, 217–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham, C. (2009). Happiness around the world: The paradox of happy peasants and miserable millionaires. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham, C. (2011). The pursuit of happiness: An economy of well-being. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayo, B. (2002). Happiness in Eastern Europe, Mimeo. Essen, Germany: University of Essen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helliwell, J. F. (2003a). How’s life? Combining individual and national variables to explain subjective well-being. Economic Modeling, 20, 331–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helliwell, J. F. (2003b). Well-being and social capital: Does suicide pose a puzzle? Unpublished manuscript, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helliwell, J. F., & Haung, H. (2008). How’s your government? International evidence linking good government and well-being. British Journal of Political Science, 38, 595–619.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hookamau, C. A., & Sibley, C. G. (2010). The multi-dimensional model of Maori identity and cultural engagement. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 39, 8–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hookamau, C. A., & Sibley, C. G. (2011). Maori cultural efficacy and subjective well-being: A psychological model and research agenda. Social Indicators Research, 103, 379–398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huppert, F. A., & Whittington, J. E. (2003). Evidence for the independence of positive and negative well-being: Implications for quality of life assessment. British Journal of Health Psychology, 8, 107–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart, R., & Klingemann, H.-D. (2000). Genes, culture, democracy, and happiness. In E. Diener & E. M. Suh (Eds.), Culture and subjective well-being (pp. 165–184). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart, R., Foa, R., Peterson, C., & Welzel, C. (2008). Development, freedom, and rising happiness: A global perspective (1981–2007). Perspective on Psychological Science, 3, 264–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kasser, T. (2002). The high price of materialism. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kitayama, S., & Markus, H. R. (2000). The pursuit of happiness and the realization of sympathy: Cultural patterns of self, social relations, and well-being. In E. Diener & E. M. Suh (Eds.), Culture and subjective well-being (pp. 113–161). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kitayama, S., Markus, H. R., & Kurokawa, M. (2000). Culture, emotion, and well-being: Good feelings in Japan and the United States. Cognition and Emotion, 14, 93–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kwan, V. S. Y., Bond, M. H., & Singelis, T. M. (1997). Pancultural explanations for life satisfaction: Adding relationship harmony to self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 1038–1051.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levin, K. A., Torsheim, T., Vollebergh, W., Richter, M., Davies, C. A., Schnohr, C. W., et al. (2011). National income and income inequality, family affluence and life satisfaction among 13 year old boys and girls: A multilevel study in 35 countries. Social Indicators Research, 104, 179–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R. E., Clark, A. E., Georgellis, Y., & Diener, E. (2003). Reexamining adaptation and the set-point model of happiness: Reactions to changes in marital status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 527–539.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R. E., Clark, A. E., Georgellis, Y., & Diener, E. (2004). Unemployment alters the set point for life satisfaction. Psychological Science, 15, 8–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacFadyen, A. J., MacFadyen, H. W., & Prince, N. J. (1996). Economic stress and psychological well-being: An economic psychology framework. Journal of Economic Psychology, 17, 291–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madden, D. (2011). The impact of economic boom on the level and distribution of subjective well-being: Ireland, 1994–2001. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12, 667–679.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monnickendam, M., & Berman, Y. (2008). An empirical analysis of the interrelationship between components of the social quality theoretical construct. Social Indicators Research, 86, 525–538.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oishi, S. (2002). The experiencing and remembering of well-being: A cross-cultural analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 1398–1406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oishi, S., & Diener, E. (2001). Goals, culture, and subjective well-being. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 1674–1682.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oshio, T., & Kobayashi, M. (2011). Area-level income inequality and individual happiness: Evidence from Japan. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12, 633–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ott, J. (2005). Level and inequality of happiness in nations: Does greater happiness of greater number imply greater inequality in happiness? Journal of Happiness Studies, 6, 397–413.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ott, J. (2010). Good governance and happiness in nations: Technical quality precedes democracy and quality beats size. Journal of Happiness Studies, 11, 353–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ott, J. (2011). Government and happiness in 130 nations: Good governance fosters higher level and more equality of happiness. Social Indicators Research, 102, 3–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ouweneel, P. (2002). Social security and well-being of the unemployed in 42 nations. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3, 167–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pacek, A. C., & Radcliff, B. (2008). Welfare policy and subjective well-being across nations: An individual-level assessment. Social Indicators Research, 89, 179–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paul, K. I. (2005). The negative mental health effect of unemployment: Meta-analyses of cross-sectional and longitudinal data. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Universitatt Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pickett, K. E., James, O. W., & Wilkinson, R. G. (2006). Income inequality and the prevalence of mental illness: A preliminary international analysis. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 60, 646–647.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Posel, D. R., & Casale, D. M. (2011). Relative standing and subjective well-being in South Africa: The role of perceptions, expectations and income mobility. Social Indicators Research, 104, 195–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seippel, O. (1999). Political environmentalism: Class interests, modern values or postmodern feelings? Innovation: The European Journal of Social Sciences, 12, 129–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanca, L. (2010). The geography of economics and happiness: Spatial patterns in the effects of economic conditions. Social Indicators Research, 99, 115–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suh, E. M., Diener, E., Oishi, S., & Triandis, H. C. (1998). The shifting basis of life satisfaction judgments across cultures: Emotions versus norms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 482–493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsai, M.-C. (2009). Market openness, transition economies and subjective well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10, 523–539.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uchida, Y., Norasakkunit, V., & Kitayama, S. (2004). Cultural constructions of happiness: Theory and empirical evidence. Journal of Happiness Studies, 5, 223–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van der Maesen, L. J. G., & Walker, A. (2005). Indicators of social quality: Outcomes of the European Scientific Network. European Journal of Social Quality, 5, 8–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2000). Well-being in the welfare state: Level not higher, distribution not equitable. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, 2, 91–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2002). Average happiness in 68 nations in 1990s: How much people enjoy their life-as-a-whole. Retrieved April 12, 2004, from World Database of Happiness Website: http://www.eur.nl/fsw/research/happiness/hap_nat/nat_fp.htm

  • Veenhoven, R. (2005a). Return of inequality in modern society? Test by dispersion of life-satisfaction across time and nations. Journal of Happiness Studies, 6, 457–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2005b). The four qualities of life: Ordering concepts and measures of the good life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 1, 1–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2006). World Database of Happiness. http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl. Accessed 19 Nov 2006.

  • Wacziarg, R., & Welch, K. H. (2003, December). Trade liberalization and growth: New evidence (Working Paper No. 10152). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, O., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2011). Empirical research on factors related to subjective well-being of Chinese urban residents. Social Indicators Research, 101, 447–459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Welzel, C., Inglehart, R., & Klingemann, H. D. (2003). The theory of human development: A cross-cultural analysis. European Journal of Political Research, 42, 341–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winkelmann, L., & Winkelmann, R. (1998). Why are the unemployed so unhappy? Evidence from panel data. Economics, 65, 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng, X., Sang, D., & Wang, L. (2004). Acculturation and subjective well-being of Chinese students in Australia. Journal of Happiness Studies, 5, 57–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Sirgy, M.J. (2012). Effects of Socioeconomic, Political, Cultural, and Other Macro Factors on QOL. In: The Psychology of Quality of Life. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 50. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4405-9_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics