Are We Architects of Our Own Happiness? The Importance of Family Background for Well-Being

This paper analyzes whether individuals have equal opportunity to achieve happiness (or well-being). We estimate sibling correlations and intergenerational correlations in self-reported life satisfaction, satisfaction with household income, job satisfaction, and satisfaction with health. We find hig...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:B.E. journal of economic analysis and policy (Online) 2016, Vol.16 (1), p.125-149
Main Authors: Schnitzlein, Daniel D, Wunder, Christoph
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Familie
family background
Family income
Generationengerechtigkeit
Happiness
Inequality
intergenerational mobility
Job satisfaction
Quality of life
Studies
subjective well-being
Zufriedenheit
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Summary:This paper analyzes whether individuals have equal opportunity to achieve happiness (or well-being). We estimate sibling correlations and intergenerational correlations in self-reported life satisfaction, satisfaction with household income, job satisfaction, and satisfaction with health. We find high sibling correlations for all measures of well-being. The results suggest that family background explains, on average, between 30% and 60% of the inequality in permanent well-being. The influence is smaller when the siblings’ psychological and geographical distance from their parental home is larger. Results from intergenerational correlations suggest that parental characteristics are considerably less important than family and community factors.
ISSN:1935-1682
2194-6108
1935-1682
DOI:10.1515/bejeap-2015-0037