Abstract
Happiness is something that everyone strives for in life. However, what truly makes someone happy? While the age old saying that “money can buy happiness” might remain true, other factors should be considered as well, including both individual and contextual ones, to see what really influences happiness. Using the 2005-2008 wave of the World Values Survey, this research examines various factors that could affect levels of happiness in different countries. I find that while economic status has an influence, health, religion, and individual freedom have the greatest impacts on determining what makes someone truly happy.
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Metadata
- Alternative title
Does Money Truly Buy Happiness?
- Journal title
Papers & Publications
- Volume
3
- Issue
1
- Date submitted
18 July 2022
- Keywords
- Additional information
Acknowledgements:
This research was completed as part of a project for Honors in Sociology at Presbyterian College under the direction of Robert Freymeyer. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Carolina Undergraduate Social Science Symposium at Newberry College, April 2013, where it received the Dr. Joel Thayer Paper Award.