Tweet
Los Angeles Times, CA
Gregory Rodriguez:
Gay marriage: the key to happiness?
A study finds that countries whose people enjoy more freedom tend to
be happier.
July 7, 2008
Who knew? The legalization of gay marriage might make Californians
happier. At least that's what a new study based on surveys of 350,000
people in nearly 100 countries suggests.
No, the authors aren't gay activists, nor do they seem to be peddling
any particular political agenda. But in their search to discover which
countries are happier than others and why, these scholars -- led by
University of Michigan political scientist Ronald Inglehart -- have
stumbled on one pretty fundamental conclusion about what people want
out of life: freedom.
Yes, that's right, more or less the same thing you were celebrating
Friday by scarfing down hamburgers next to the pool in your
brother-in-law's backyard. How exactly, you ask, is gay marriage
connected with "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"?
It's simple. According to surveys, in developed countries
discrimination against women and minorities is actually waning and
gays remain the least tolerated "outgroup" in society. They are the
proverbial canaries in the coal mine. In most developed countries, the
relative level of their acceptance or rejection is a sensitive
indicator of that society's overall tolerance toward minorities. And
-- here's the takeaway -- social tolerance "broadens the range of
choices available to people," thereby enhancing happiness for both the
tolerant and the intolerant alike.
Sounds a little too touchy-feely, right? Are they saying that
Armenians, who were next to last in the study's happiness ranking,
should immediately allow gays to marry in order to be happier? Not
exactly.
The researchers have found that freedom of choice is not only a
universal aspiration but the single most important basis of human
happiness. But to get to freedom of choice for Armenians, who live in
poverty, social tolerance might not beat out economic development on
the national "to-do" list. That's because first, you have to have
enough food to eat. Of course, economic well-being doesn't just buy
food, it also frees people from the lack of life choices that
deprivation imposes -- suddenly you're on your way up the happiness
scale.
But money can only take you so far. The transition from a subsistence
economy to moderate economic security has a profound effect on a
nation's happiness. But once a nation gets past the level of, say,
Portugal (No. 47), economic growth begins to produce diminishing
returns. That's when, the study's authors theorize, humans can afford
to try to maximize "free choice in all the realms of life." Here in
the U.S., we know all about post-materialist politics and the
emergence of "quality of life" issues.
At this stage, what does a society have to look like in order to
create more free choice and more happiness? The study indicates that
you need democratization and, most important of all, social tolerance.
"Yes, I know that all this sounds like I've been brainwashed by my
third-grade teacher," lead researcher Inglehart told me, "but it turns
out it's true. The empirical evidence is clear: Freedom is conducive
to happiness."
For years, scholars were convinced that a nation's level of happiness
was constant. Previous research indicated that neither sudden tragedy
nor rising fortunes could alter a nation's long-term levels of
satisfaction. Biological studies also have shown the degree to which
happiness can be inherited. But the sheer size of the survey sample in
this study, as well as the fact that it was longitudinal -- tracking
results for most countries over nearly 20 years -- strongly suggest
that the old studies were wrong. The happiness of a society fluctuates
and usually is based on the relative freedom (including freedom from
scarcity) of its population.
The researchers' theories can account for a lot about the rankings
that emerged from their work, but not everything. After all, the big
picture might be development, democracy and tolerance, but individual
happiness is still pretty subjective, and there are other, more minor
factors that determine life satisfaction.
Where did the U.S. come in? Sixteenth. Which country was No. 1?
Denmark. One impressive showing came from Latin America, where many of
the nations ranked higher than the researchers had expected. Colombia,
for example, came in at No. 3; Puerto Rico at No. 2. In fact, for all
the study's emphasis on development, democratization and tolerance,
Latin America makes even the researchers wonder. They speculate that
happiness in Latin America might have something to do with those
societies' strong belief in God. Traditional religion, according to
the researchers, is also conducive to happiness.
Which brings us to a modern-day quandary. Modernity is good because it
facilitates development, democracy and freedom of choice; but so is
tradition because it gives us a sense of security, predictability and
purpose in our lives. The study suggests that religious faith and
social tolerance are a winning combination. Which leaves me wondering:
Perhaps people in the U.S. would all be happier if more ministers,
rabbis, imams and priests conducted more gay marriages.
[email protected]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Gregory Rodriguez:
Gay marriage: the key to happiness?
A study finds that countries whose people enjoy more freedom tend to
be happier.
July 7, 2008
Who knew? The legalization of gay marriage might make Californians
happier. At least that's what a new study based on surveys of 350,000
people in nearly 100 countries suggests.
No, the authors aren't gay activists, nor do they seem to be peddling
any particular political agenda. But in their search to discover which
countries are happier than others and why, these scholars -- led by
University of Michigan political scientist Ronald Inglehart -- have
stumbled on one pretty fundamental conclusion about what people want
out of life: freedom.
Yes, that's right, more or less the same thing you were celebrating
Friday by scarfing down hamburgers next to the pool in your
brother-in-law's backyard. How exactly, you ask, is gay marriage
connected with "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"?
It's simple. According to surveys, in developed countries
discrimination against women and minorities is actually waning and
gays remain the least tolerated "outgroup" in society. They are the
proverbial canaries in the coal mine. In most developed countries, the
relative level of their acceptance or rejection is a sensitive
indicator of that society's overall tolerance toward minorities. And
-- here's the takeaway -- social tolerance "broadens the range of
choices available to people," thereby enhancing happiness for both the
tolerant and the intolerant alike.
Sounds a little too touchy-feely, right? Are they saying that
Armenians, who were next to last in the study's happiness ranking,
should immediately allow gays to marry in order to be happier? Not
exactly.
The researchers have found that freedom of choice is not only a
universal aspiration but the single most important basis of human
happiness. But to get to freedom of choice for Armenians, who live in
poverty, social tolerance might not beat out economic development on
the national "to-do" list. That's because first, you have to have
enough food to eat. Of course, economic well-being doesn't just buy
food, it also frees people from the lack of life choices that
deprivation imposes -- suddenly you're on your way up the happiness
scale.
But money can only take you so far. The transition from a subsistence
economy to moderate economic security has a profound effect on a
nation's happiness. But once a nation gets past the level of, say,
Portugal (No. 47), economic growth begins to produce diminishing
returns. That's when, the study's authors theorize, humans can afford
to try to maximize "free choice in all the realms of life." Here in
the U.S., we know all about post-materialist politics and the
emergence of "quality of life" issues.
At this stage, what does a society have to look like in order to
create more free choice and more happiness? The study indicates that
you need democratization and, most important of all, social tolerance.
"Yes, I know that all this sounds like I've been brainwashed by my
third-grade teacher," lead researcher Inglehart told me, "but it turns
out it's true. The empirical evidence is clear: Freedom is conducive
to happiness."
For years, scholars were convinced that a nation's level of happiness
was constant. Previous research indicated that neither sudden tragedy
nor rising fortunes could alter a nation's long-term levels of
satisfaction. Biological studies also have shown the degree to which
happiness can be inherited. But the sheer size of the survey sample in
this study, as well as the fact that it was longitudinal -- tracking
results for most countries over nearly 20 years -- strongly suggest
that the old studies were wrong. The happiness of a society fluctuates
and usually is based on the relative freedom (including freedom from
scarcity) of its population.
The researchers' theories can account for a lot about the rankings
that emerged from their work, but not everything. After all, the big
picture might be development, democracy and tolerance, but individual
happiness is still pretty subjective, and there are other, more minor
factors that determine life satisfaction.
Where did the U.S. come in? Sixteenth. Which country was No. 1?
Denmark. One impressive showing came from Latin America, where many of
the nations ranked higher than the researchers had expected. Colombia,
for example, came in at No. 3; Puerto Rico at No. 2. In fact, for all
the study's emphasis on development, democratization and tolerance,
Latin America makes even the researchers wonder. They speculate that
happiness in Latin America might have something to do with those
societies' strong belief in God. Traditional religion, according to
the researchers, is also conducive to happiness.
Which brings us to a modern-day quandary. Modernity is good because it
facilitates development, democracy and freedom of choice; but so is
tradition because it gives us a sense of security, predictability and
purpose in our lives. The study suggests that religious faith and
social tolerance are a winning combination. Which leaves me wondering:
Perhaps people in the U.S. would all be happier if more ministers,
rabbis, imams and priests conducted more gay marriages.
[email protected]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress