SOCIAL CAPITAL AND HAPPINESS: AN INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON ACROSS THREE GENERATION GROUPS

Abstract

Happiness of the people is an important index of social development. This study focuses on the correlation between social capital and happiness and the comparison of international data. Three data sources are used. Samples are taken from the International Social Survey (ISSP) across 30 countries, providing a total of 49,504 people who are divided into three age groups: the young (20–34 years old), the middle-aged (35–64 years old), and the elderly (over 65 years old). This study uses hierarchical linear modeling to measure the cross-level effects of the happiness from different age groups (young, middle-aged, elderly) in 30 countries. The results find that of the 30 countries, there is a significant difference in the happiness level of the three age groups in 25 of these countries. The score of the elderly’s happiness is shown to be the lowest out of the three age groups in 20 of the countries. The elderly’s happiness is affected the most by country factors, about 14% in the three age groups. There is significant positive effect that factors in the national level have on the elderly’s happiness. Social capital acts as a buffer against the adverse effects of urbanization and educational degree on the mental well-being of the elderly.