Relationship between happiness and economic and social factors in the european union

Ljudje stremimo k sreči. S to trditvijo so se ukvarjali že antični filozofi, ki so postavili temelje za sodobno raziskovanje tega pojava. Razumevanje sreče in vseh dejavnikov, ki nanjo vplivajo, je praktično nemogoče, saj smo ljudje drugačni in srečo dojemamo drugače. Pa vendar obstajajo določeni vzorci, ki veljajo za večji del populacije. Osebno blaginjo dosežemo z zdravjem, pripadnostjo, spoštovanjem in drugimi neoprijemljivimi dejavniki, marsikomu pa so pomembne tudi materialne dobrine. V nalogi smo se osredotočili na obe vrsti dejavnikov. Med neoprijemljive sodijo samomori, ki so mnogokrat posledica duševnih, včasih pa tudi materialnih vzrokov. Na drugi strani pa smo se posvetili tudi materialnemu vzroku – dohodku, ki smo ga merili na osnovi rasti realnega BDP v nekem nacionalnem gospodarstvu. Tretji dejavnik sreče, ki ga preučujemo, je brezposelnost, ki je mešanica tako materialnega kot tudi nematerialnega sveta. Brezposelnost ni samo izpad dohodka, temveč predstavlja tudi duševno stisko za posameznike, ki bi želeli delati, a dela ne najdejo. V praktičnem delu naloge smo na kratko preverili že postavljene teorije na področju sreče s sociološkega in filozofskega stališča, malo več pozornosti pa smo namenili ekonomskim vidikom sreče. Prav tako smo preverili že obstoječe raziskave na področju povezovanja ekonomije in sreče, ki so nam dale nek okvir za lastno analizo izbranih dejavnikov. V empirični raziskavi smo iskali statistično povezanost med srečo in omenjenimi tremi ekonomsko-socialnimi dejavniki. Povezanost smo merili s korelacijo na področju EU-28 v treh časovnih obdobjih: v času pred krizo, ki smo jo opredelili med letoma 2006 in 2008v času med krizo, tj. med letoma 2009 in 2012ter v času po krizi med letoma 2013 in 2016. Vzorec smo razdelili v dve skupini. Prvo skupino tvorijo države PIIGS (Portugalska, Irska, Italija, Grčija in Španija), ki so v času gospodarske krize doživele največje padce na ekonomskem področju, potem sledijo še preostale države EU-28. Rezultati so pokazali, da sta brezposelnost in število samomorov na izbranem območju povezani s srečo, ki smo jo merili s HPI (Happy Planet Index) in HIN (Happiness in Nations). Povezava ni vezana na čas, saj je korelacija med obema komponentama in srečo jasna skozi vsa opazovana obdobja. Teh trditev nismo mogli potrditi za rast realnega BDP. Preverili smo tudi, ali sta oba ekonomska dejavnika najtesneje povezana s srečo prav v obdobju gospodarske krize na območju držav PIIGS, kar se ni izkazalo za točno. Rezultati so bili ravno nasprotni. Zgolj pri preostalih državah EU-28 je bila korelacija med srečo in brezposelnostjo najmočnejša v času gospodarske krize.People are generally striving towards happiness. Even ancient philosophers have occupied themselves with the given statement and set the groundwork for the contemporary researches. It is impossible to understand happiness and the factors affecting it, because every human is different, and has different perceptions of happiness. However, there are certain patterns, which apply for most people. We accomplish personal welfare by health, belonging, respect and other indefinable phenomena. To some people, material goods are important as well. In the thesis, focus was on both. Suicides are indefinable phenomena, which are many times committed due to the physical and material reasons. Focus was also on income, which was measured by the real GDP growth rate of a certain national economy. The third factor of happiness, which was studied, is unemployment, which is a mix of material and immaterial world. Unemployment is not just loss of payment, it also means emotional distress for individuals who want to work but cannot find any. In the practical part of the thesis, the already set up theories of happiness within sociological and philosophical point of view, were briefly introduced. More attention was given to the economics of happiness. The already given surveys in the field of economics of happiness were the groundwork for further analysis of our own. In the empirical part of the thesis, the statistical connection between happiness and previously mentioned socio-economic factors, were looked for. The connection was measured by the correlation of EU-28 in three time periods: in the time before the crisis, between 2006 and 2008, in the time of the crisis, between 2009 and 2012, and in the time after the crisis, between 2013 and 2016. The sample was divided into two groups. The first group was composed of the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain), countries which the crisis had the biggest impact on. The rest of the EU-28 countries composed the other group. The results have shown, that unemployment and number of suicides are connected to the happiness, which was measured by HPI (Happy Planet Index) and HIN (Happiness in Nations). The connection is not time limited, because the correlation between the two components and happiness is clear throughout the observed period. These statements could not be confirmed for the real GDP growth. The question considered was also, whether both economic factors were closely connected to the happiness, right in the period of economic crisis in the PIIGS, and it was proven wrong. The results were just the opposite. The rest of the EU-28 countries showed, that the correlation between happiness and unemployment was the strongest in the period of economic crisis