GNH instead of GNP:Is happiness measureable?

Profil :

Florian COULMAS is director of the German Institute for Japanese

Studies, Tokyo. He is directing two research programmes, one, « The

demographic challenge, » dealing with social, economic, and political

consequences of ageing and population decline; and the other an

interdisciplinary approach to subjective well-being and quality of life

in Japan entitled, « Happiness in Japan. » His most recent books are Imploding Populations in Japan and Germany (with Ralph Lützeler), Leiden (2011) and Fukushima. Vom Erdbeben zur atomaren Katastrophe (with Judith Stalpers), Munich (2011). More information : http://www.dijtokyo.org/about_us/director

Résumé :
Ever since the defeat in World War II, nothing seemed more important in

Japan than how the GNP developed. However, after two so-called lost

decades doubts have arisen as to whether GNP figures should be the only

benchmark of social progress. Orientation is being sought elsewhere.

Happiness is much en vogue. Why is it that in the complex

population-economy-environment-culture system that forms our life

governments of many advanced and some developing countries have lately

taken an interest in happiness? What do they mean by ‘happiness’ and how

do they measure it? This seminar offers some answers to these

questions, with regard to Japan and more generally. It traces the

beginnings of the happiness boom, looks at new indices to measure

happiness, and tries to make sense of the observation that high rankings

on important objective parameters such as life expectancy, wealth, and

education do not necessarily add up to a high degree of happiness.

Discussant : Hélène LE BAIL (UMIFRE 19, MFJ)

Organisation : Bureau français de la MFJ
Co-organisation : CCIFJ

2013-04-24_LS_Coulmas_HLB.pdf