• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.53-77
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• 2012

The Easterlin Paradox is widely accepted as a pioneer of happiness study in social science disciplines including Economics, Psychology, and Sociology. Moreover, it should be noted, the paradox has abundant implications on many social issues such as 'economic growth or social equity', 'basic income' and so forth. It is in this regard that this paper purports to understand debates around the paradox. For this purpose, the chapter two examines the theoretical perspectives of the Easterlin Paradox, and accordingly the chapter three examines the Easterlin Paradox debates since the early 1990s. In the context of the Easterlin paradox debates, the chapter four scrutinizes the debates around satiation point in income-happiness nexus and duly concludes with some social welfare implications.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.893-920
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• 2012

This study is to investigate causal relationship between individual life satisfaction and air pollution, using ordered probit model with the KLIPS panel dataset for 1998-2008. As determinants, both individual economic and socio-demographic characteristics are considered. Empirical results show that the degree of air pollution has negative effects on individual life satisfaction. The effects of other variables are similar to those of existing studies. This study found that life satisfaction increases along with income increase. However, at a certain point, the increase of life satisfaction becomes smaller even with an increase in income, indicating non-linear effect. It implies that the Easterlin's paradox can be applied to Korea's case. The increase of the other person's income measured by income per capita in the region where respondent resides has negative effects on life satisfaction. On the other hand, a person who has married, own house, stayed healthy, and highly been educated is likely to have higher life satisfaction. Additionally, a person with many household members, urban resident, unemployed or self-employed are negatively correlated with life satisfaction.