wellbeing-and-public-policy-n-ddmarks.ppt

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1. Well-being and Social Policy
29
th
June 2005
Social Policy Association Conference,
University of Bath
Nic Marks
head of well-being research
new economics foundation

2. Well-being and Social Policy
What do we mean by well-being?
How is it measured?
nef’s well-being manifesto
Some data to support the policy ideas
What is happening politically in the UK
about well-being
What other projects nef are up to

3. What do we mean by “well-being”?
Well-being = People’s experience
of their quality of life
WHO definition of health as:
“A state of complete physical, mental and social well-
being, and not merely an absence of disease or
infirmity”: 1946

4. GDP and Life Satisfaction
A Challenge to the Economic Status Quo
GDP and Life Satisfaction 1973 - 2002
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
160%
180%
200%
197319751977197919811983198519871989199119931995199719992001
Life Satisfaction
GDP

5. Well-being data
Most data is limited to Life Satisfaction,
but it is pretty robust and useful.
– Converges with other measures
– Predicts people’s behaviour consistently
– Many predictors are malleable to policy
But note averages ‘hide’ a lot of variance.
Micro-data illuminates this as well as
challenging set-point theory & adaptation.

6. -1.25
-1.00
-0.75
-0.50
-0.25
0.00
0.25
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Year of
Widowhood
Micro data: Widowhood and Well-being

7. -1.25
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Micro data: Divorce and Well-being
Year of Divorce

8. Micro data: Marriages and Well-being
Marriage Paths of Life Satisfaction
-1
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1.5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Years of Marriage
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Mean
Positive Group
Negative Group

9. Micro data: Widowhood and Well-being
Data from GSOP – German Panel Data – Rich Lucas
Lucas, R. E., Clark, A. E., Georgellis, Y., & Diener, E. (2003).
Re-examining adaptation and the setpoint model of happiness:
Reactions to changes in marital status. Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, 84, 527-539.
Lucas, R. E. (in press). Time does not heal all wounds. A
longitudinal study of reaction and adaptation to divorce.
Psychological Science.

10. A theory of personal well-being
Our Parents - 50%
Our Circumstances - 10%
Our Activities and Outlook - 40%
Sonja Lyubomirsky – The Architecture of Happiness

11. Why is well-being important for
politics - right now?
Health Impacts:
–Happy people live up to 7 years longer
Enterprise Impacts:
–2
nd
Dimension of Development and Curiosity =>
Entrepreneurship & Creativity
Citizenship Impacts:
–Happy people are more generous, altruistic and
sociable
–BUT beware of some independence!

12. Why is well-being important for
Sustainable Development?
Material goods
–little positive impact on people’s well-being.
Materialistic values
–appear to undermine people’s well-being.
De-materialize and be happy?
–Possible WIN – WIN situation.

13. Well-being and Policy
nef’s well-being manifesto:
– launched Sept 2004
– covered eight areas of policy
– strategy was ‘to start a debate’
– designed to be ‘contagious’
Downloadable from:
www.neweconomics.org

14. nef’s well-being manifesto
1.Measure what matters
2.Create a well-being economy
3.Reclaim our time
4.Flourishing schools
5.Complete health for the nation
6.Invest in the very early years
7.Authentic advertising (and discourage
materialism)
8.Community contribution

15. 1. Measure what matters
Well-being matters, so we’d
better measure it.
1.National well-being accounts.
2.Local Government well-being audits.
3.Regional Development Agencies –
well-being economies.
4.Targeted academic and social
research.

16. 1. Will Measurement Matter?
Personal Impacts:
–Informational – increasing awareness
and personal choice.
Social Impacts:
–Encourage shifts in Cultural values.
–Inform Policy changes
Environmental Impacts:
–Strategic and Longer Term

17. 2: Well-being Economy & Good Jobs
Experience at work and some key outcome variables
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Life
Satisfaction
Work
Satisfaction
Work Life
Balance
Satisfaction
Organisational
Pride
Intention to
Quit
Low Interest - High Stress
Low Interest - Low Stress
High Interest - High Stress
High Interest - Low Stress
Source: “Good Jobs”; Nic Marks; CIPD report on “Employee well-being” June 2005; www.cipd.co.uk

18. 2: Well-being economy & Unemployment
Effect of unemployment on People's Life Satisfaction
-1.5
-1.25
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0.5
Average Under 50s Over 50s Voluntary Involuntary
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Source: Winkelmann & Winkelmann: Why are the unemployed so unhappy?: Economica, 65, 1-15

19. 3: Effect of Long Hours
Length of Working Week and Key Outcome Indicators
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Work Satisfaction Work Life Balance
Satisfaction
Intention to Quit (0-10)
Short Hours (less than 36)
Medium Hours (36 - 40)
Medium Long (41 - 45)
Long Hours (more than 45)
Source: “Good Jobs”; Nic Marks; CIPD report on “Employee well-being” June 2005; www.cipd.co.uk

20. 4: Changing Schools?
Average Overall Well-being and School Satisfaction by Age
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
3
3.2
3.4
3.6
3.8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Age
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Life Satisfaction
Curiosity
School Satisfaction
Source: Power & potential of well-being indicators, Nic Marks; nef 2004

21. 5: Health and Well-being
“Complete Health” for the Nation
–NHS to re-focus on its true purpose
“complete physical, mental and social
well-being” – WHO 1948.
–Interconnection between mental health
and prevention
NHS should become a “National Health
System” involving patients looking
after their own well-being.

22. 5: Health and Well-being
Longevity and Happiness
–Happy people live up to 7 years longer, which is a
larger positive effect than body mass, smoking
and physical exercise are negative.
The Unhappy-Well
–Unhappy people have a lower ‘pain threshold’ and
are more likely to consider themselves ill. Also
happier people absorb more health information.
Increased Risks
–Risk of cardiovascular disease is estimated as
twice as high for people with depression, and 50%
higher for the generally unhappy.

23. Health warning
nef Health Warning
Being HAPPY is seriously good for you and
others around you.
Happy and fulfilled people live up to seven
years longer, have stronger social
networks and are engaged in their
communities.

24. 6: Children and Well-being
Invest in the very early years
–Babies need a lot of individual attention
–Parenthood is stressful
–Too much nursery care can have
negative well-being effects on child.
Specific Policy Recommendations:
–Shared parental leave for first 2 years
–Supportive home visits for new parents
–Reduce ratio of nursery staff:babies to
1:2 from current policy of 1:3

25. 7: Effect of Materialism?
Materialistic Aspirations
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
High Non-Material &
High Material
High Non-Material &
Low Material
Low Non-Material &
High Material
Low Non-Material &
Low Material
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Source: “High Price of Materialism”; Tim Kasser; 2002; Bradford Books, MIT Press, USA

26. 8: Social Well-being
Measuring Social well-being
• Belongingness
• Trusting others and feeling others care for you
• Pro-social behaviour / Contribution
• Feelings about Societal development
• Understanding or making sense of Societal
Change
Following Corey Keyes

27. Social Well-being
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Belongingness
Trust others & care
Contribute to Society
Societal Progress
Understand Changes
USAItalyLadakh

28. Well-being & UK politics
Sustainable Development Strategy –
“Securing the future”
Scottish Executive
Mental Health Agenda
Children and Commercialisation

29. nef and well-being indicators
Health, Needs and Happiness -
Dumfries and Galloway
Sustainable Well-being –
WWF and nef
European Social Survey – 2006/7 –
with Felicia Huppert, University of
Cambridge

30. Well-being and Social Policy
What do we mean by well-being?
How is it measured?
Eight policy ideas
Some data to support them!
What is happening politically in the UK
about well-being
What other projects nef are up to

31. Well-being and Social Policy
What can you do?
Measure what matters.
Assess the well-being effects of current
and potential policies.
Consider the well-being implications of
all social policy.
Don’t forget future generations!

32. Contact Details:
Nic Marks
www.neweconomics.org
[email protected]