As wellbeing becomes an increasingly explicit policy goal in countries across the world, the demand for evidence upon which to base intervention is growing. Featuring 41 contributing authors from 18 countries, this book surveys and synthesizes recent developments in wellbeing science and policy to highlight key lessons learned and to offer actionable insights for policy-making.
Opening with a foreword by Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, and an introductory chapter surveying the fundamentals of wellbeing policy, the book reviews the links between wellbeing and various domains, including income, work, health, family, altruism and empathy, ageing, gender, education, housing, environment, crime, democracy, migration, religion, digital technology, and art, culture, and creativity. The book also examines the state of the art on wellbeing policy frameworks in diverse contexts, including developed and developing countries, small and large states, across the world, documenting interventions by governmental, private, or non-governmental organizations. Case studies include Bhutan, New Zealand, Finland, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Malta.
This book is essential reading for anyone interested in progressing towards a wellbeing economy including policy-makers, academics, and students in economics, public policy, public administration, and behavioural and political science.
Foreword
Roberta Metsola
1. Overview of wellbeing and policy: Evidence for action
Marie Briguglio, Natalia V. Czap, and Kate Laffan
Part I. Wellbeing: Evidence across individual domains
2. Income and wellbeing
Laura Kudrna
3. Work and wellbeing: Maximising the wellbeing of tomorrows workforce
Alexandra Kirienko, Kate Laffan, and Laura M. Giurge
4. Health and wellbeing: Identifying causal effects
Hans Czap and Marie Briguglio
5. Family and wellbeing: The emerging importance of family wellbeing studies for social policies and services
Lili Xia
6. Altruism, empathy, and wellbeing: Improving lives through policy that aligns with our better angels
Stephanie Preston and Tanner Nichols
7. Ageing and wellbeing: The potential of senior policy to support seniors subjective wellbeing
Maciej Górny and Krzysztof Hajder
8. Gender and wellbeing: Key states of the life course
Jaslin Kaur Kalsi and Astghik Mavisakalyan
9. Education and wellbeing
Ingebjørg Kristoffersen, Alfred Michael Dockery, and Ian W. Li
Part II. Wellbeing: Evidence across social and environmental domains
10. Housing, neighbourhoods, and wellbeing
Marie Briguglio, Dylan Cassar, and Daniel Gravino
11. Environment and wellbeing: Assessing the impact of environmental quality and pro-environmental behavior on wellbeing
Kate Laffan, Hans Czap, and Natalia V. Czap
12. (Fear of) crime and wellbeing: The role of individual and country-level determinants
Eva Krulichová
13. Democracy and wellbeing
Alois Stutzer, Benjamin Jansen, and Tobias Schib
14. Migration and wellbeing: A policy review
Martijn Hendriks
15. Religion, spirituality and wellbeing: Can spiritual/religious practice improve individuals wellbeing?
Teresa García-Muñoz and Shoshana Neuman
16. Digital technology and wellbeing: Moving beyond the hype
Diane Pelly
17. Art, culture, and wellbeing: Reaping the rewards of creativity
Leonie Baldacchino
Part III. Wellbeing: Evidence from countries
18. Wellbeing and policy in Bhutan
Kehinde Balogun and Kariuki Weru
19. Wellbeing and policy in New Zealand: From a wellbeing framework to a government-wide approach
Dan Weijers
20. Wellbeing and policy in Finland: The economy-of-wellbeing approach
Riikka Pellikka and Heli Hätönen
21. Wellbeing and policy in the United Arab Emirates: Strategic directions and lessons learned
Ahmad Samarji and Amal AlBlooshi
22. Wellbeing and policy in Canada: Progress towards measurement and practice
Chris P. Barrington-Leigh
23. Wellbeing and policy in Australia
Michelle Baddeley
24. Wellbeing and policy in the United Kingdom
Joanne Smithson
25. Wellbeing and policy in Japan
Toshiaki Hiromitsu, Eriko Teramura and Ryusuke Oishi
26. Wellbeing and policy in Malta: Doing well; feeling good?
Marie Briguglio
Appendix
Index
