Happiness Studies

Abstract

This article is about the growth and establishment of the interdisciplinary research field ”Happiness Studies”. This article focuses on how research on happiness has become a quickly growing and successful field within western societies and what it says about both the social sciences and contemporary social order. The concept of co-production, as defined by Sheila Jasanoff, is used to show how science and society interact and influence each other. Hence, we show how happiness has become a significant topic for empirical studies and the way interdisciplinary research is intertwined with what is perceived as both challenging and worth striving for in society and culture.

Can I Sustain My Happiness? A Review, Critique and Research Agenda for Economics of Happiness

“…The study of happiness and subjective well-being is growing to incorporate publications across disciplines, from psychology to economics and sociology [6]. Research on happiness has also grown in fields such as philosophy, psychiatry, cognitive neuroscience, and gerontology, signifying a broader academic reporting on how people's feelings and expectations change with different life experiences [7].…”