Reading Events

Cafe Scientifique: The economics of happiness

Date : 16 November 2009

Time : 19:30

Location : 61 St. Mary's Butts, Reading, RG1 2LG

Contact : Dr Lucy Chappell, 0118 378 7391, l.chappell@reading.ac.uk

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Economics has traditionally assumed people base many of their decisions on relative financial costs and benefits, and in doing so they choose the option that will make them happiest. Individual decisions on what to buy, where and how much to work, how much to invest in one's own or one's children's education and even whether to get married or not have all been looked at in this manner. Governments are also rated in terms of how much richer or poorer they make us whilst in office, assuming that what makes us richer would also make us happier. But is it so? And if it is not, what else do we consider when making economic decisions and what should policy makers focus on?

Dr Marina Della Giusta is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Economics and her research covers development and institutional economics, focussing on the roles of institutions and social mechanisms in determining market access and wellbeing, and on gender issues.

Free entry, all welcome. For more information please see www.reading.ac.uk/cafesci