New Directions in the Study of Happiness: United States and International Perspectives
University of Notre Dame, McKenna Hall, October 22-24, 2006
Conference Schedule
Sunday, October 22nd, 6:45pm
Opening
7:10pm-8:20pm
What is Happiness?
Darrin McMahon, Florida State University
History of Happiness and Contemporary Happiness Studies
Anthony Ong, Cornell University
Hedonic versus Eudamonic Conceptions of Happiness
8:20pm-9:30pm
Theories and Empirics of Happiness
Ruut Veenhoven, Erasmus University
"How do we assess how happy we are? Tenets, implications and tenability of three theories"
David Blanchflower, Dartmouth College
"Some Findings on the Empirics of Happiness and Mental Well-being"
Monday, October 23rd, 8:30am-9:40am
Theories and Empirics of Happiness, cont.
Richard Easterlin, University of Southern California
Happiness and Domain Satisfaction
Sonja Lyubomirsky, University of California, Riverside
The Promise of Abiding Happiness: Experimental Psychological Interventions to Increase Well-Being
9:50am-12:20pm
Happiness and the Economy
Robert Frank, Cornell University
Are positional externalities different?
Alois Stutzer, University of Basel
When temptation overwhelms willpower: Obesity and happiness
Rafael Di Tella, Harvard University
"Happiness Adaptation to Income and to Status"
Amitava Krishna Dutt, University of Notre Dame
Consumption and Happiness: Alternative perspectives
2:00pm-3:10pm
Happiness and Justice
William A Darity, Jr., University of North Caroline, Arthur Goldsmith, Washinton and Lee University, and Darrick Hamilton, New School
"Perceptions of Discrimination and Life Outcomes: A Social Justice Perspective" (with tables)
Carol Graham, Brookings and University of Maryland
Does inequality matter to individual welfare?
3:20pm-5:50pm
Happiness and Politics
Ronald Inglehart, University of Michigan
Democracy and Happiness
Tom Rice, University of Iowa
Causal connection between liberal regimes and happiness
Alex Pacek, Texas A&M University
"The welfare state and the quality of life"
Ben Radcliff, University of Notre Dame
Politics of happiness in American states
Tuesday, October 24th, 8:30am-9:40am
Happiness and Society
Wendy Rahn, University of Minnesota
Matters of life and death
Eric Oliver, University of Chicago
"Mental life and the metropolis in suburban America: The psychological correlates of metropolital place characteristics"
9:50am-12:20pm
What is to be done?
Bruno Frey, University of Zurich, and Alois Stutzer, University of Basel
Should we maximize national happiness?
Alasdair MacIntyre, University of Notre Dame
General Discussion