Comments on: Class and Well-Being

By: Buzzcut

Buzzcut — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:05:15 +0000

How do you know that it is socialism that makes them happy, and not the fact that they live in a small, homogenous country?

By: Swordsman

Swordsman — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:27:58 +0000

Good points, Alex. Materialism is fine up to a point where you get creature comforts. When people have 3 Jaguars in the garage and two iPods for every person in the household, they’ve become hypermaterialistic and then wonder why they’re unhappy.

I think we’ve learned in the past year that economic stability can contribute a lot to happiness and that just wanting more and more and more STUFF is not necessarily the answer. I’m also not advocating we all sell our recliners and go live in caves, either, of course.

By: Alex Matheson

Alex Matheson — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:40:46 +0000

Nicole Tessaro’s comments concerning the impact of socialism was substantiated in a recent survey that found the Danes the happiest in the world. There may be a more dour bunch than the Danes, but not many. Their “happiness” was not so much euphoria as an absence of things to worry about. Society provided security, a kind of insurance against most disasters and this seemed the crucial element.
The struggle for money and the attendant buying power of more of it, beyond a certain point, doesn’t contribute to happiness. A basic secure material standard coupled with sufficient unstructured time may be a good starting point. alex

By: Nicole Tessaro

Nicole Tessaro — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:59:09 +0000

Very interesting trends. Although I hope that there are reasons other than being in the working class that can explain all the negative correlations. Actually, I hope there is.

If we extend the logic of what the overall message seems to be (eliminate the working class and replace them with creative class jobs) where would we be if every economy took this approach? Clearly this will not happen in any foreseeable time, but assuming that the developing countries eventually mature into developed economies, then the above trends would suggest that they to, should eliminate the working class.

But then who will mine our resources and produce our cars, clothes, cell phones? Perhaps by the time most economies have matured, we will have invented robots to do all the ‘menial’ tasks for us. But perhaps not.

So, hopefully there are other major variables effecting this trend. For instance, I wonder if the trends would be so evident in more socialist countries – ones with free or cheap education, better public transit, better health insurance, more vacation, longer maternity/paternity leaves etc. Maybe then people in the working class would feel happier about their lives.

Also, I think that the ‘healthy behaviour’ and ‘physical health’ aspects are linked to the cultures in the working class industries, not necessarily the work. Is there a difference between the work and the culture? Not at the present time. But I think there is opportunity to change the culture/mindset of many of these places to be ‘healthier’ places to work. Not sure how…but I think it’s possible.

By: Buzzcut

Buzzcut — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:23:00 +0000

Buzzcut, my sympathies on Lake County.

Could be worse. I’m 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. I prefer it to a lot of other places that I’ve lived, including other ‘burbs of Chicago (this is my third!)

By: Swordsman

Swordsman — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:15:11 +0000

Buzzcut, my sympathies on Lake County. Let me just say I am familiar with the area and leave it at that, man.

By: Cliff Lippard

Cliff Lippard — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:06:22 +0000

Richard,

Thank you for the elaboration.

Growing up in a GM factory town in Indiana, I certainly get the gist of what you are saying about different outlooks on recreation, etc. I have also experienced the anti-cycling taunts. Of course, the only time I ever had a soft drink flung at me from a car was in a fashionable suburb of my adopted hometown of Nashville.

By: Jim H

Jim H — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:55:42 +0000

Buzzcut,
I’ll be surprised if the union workers you speak of won’t eventually lose their jobs to much cheaper workers in China. Not to mention the non-existant pollution controls. Cap and trade here we come

By: Buzzcut

Buzzcut — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:48:42 +0000

One of the benefits of being in a trade union is that they’ll keep you from getting fired if you fail a drug test.

Another benefit is that the company will pay the upwards of $200k with all the overtime and doubletime that people work.

No doubt, it is great work if you can get it (at least on the money side. The work itself is tough). And to get it, you need to have an “in” with the union.

In a county that includes Gary, I can count the number of African Americans in the trades on one hand. I don’t know how they get away with this, but they do.

Regarding the money, those people really do live on the job. They do shift work, so they might work days one week and nights the next. To make that kind of money, they need doubletime, which means Sundays and Holidays.

I think that it is amazing that someone without a college education can make that kind of money, but they earn every penny of it.

By: Swordsman

Swordsman — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:21:53 +0000

Nice catch, Michael C. Weird, though. Wouldn’t the happiest people vote GOP since they were in power? Plus, I thought that religious people in general were happier (although that could possibly be because they are less discriminated against).

Very odd and counterintuitive.