The Impact of Education on Happiness and Wellbeing in a Middle-Income Country: The Case of Turkey

Year 2025, Volume: 24 Issue: 1, 252 - 272, 28.01.2025

Mustafa Özer , Jan Fidrmuc

https://doi.org/10.21547/jss.1552896

Abstract

This study analyses the causal relationship between education and subjective well-being by utilizing the 1997 educational reform in Turkey, which extended compulsory schooling from five to eight years. While the existing literature widely acknowledges the positive effects of education on employment opportunities, income levels, and health outcomes, its direct impact on subjective well-being remains a subject of debate. The central hypothesis posited is that education may elevate individuals' aspirations, thereby offsetting its positive effects on reported happiness. The research employs an instrumental variable (IV) approach, leveraging regional variations in the implementation of the reform to enable robust causal inference. The findings indicate that while education has significant positive effects on income and future expectations, its direct impact on subjective well-being is not statistically significant, particularly for women. These results suggest that the relationship between education and happiness is not straightforward but is mediated through more complex mechanisms, such as economic and social factors. The study challenges the notion that the weak link between education and happiness can be attributed solely to endogeneity or mediating variables, instead supporting the theory that elevated aspirations provide a more compelling explanation. Limitations include the reliance on self-reported happiness data and the focus on individuals directly affected by the reform, potentially constraining the generalizability of the findings. This study contributes to the literature by emphasizing that educational policies should be designed with consideration for mental and subjective well-being alongside traditional economic outcomes.

Keywords

Turkey, Education reform, Happiness, Welfare, Difference in difference, JEL Codes: H51; H52; I12; I26

The Impact of Education on Happiness and Wellbeing in a Middle-Income Country: The Case of Turkey

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Türkiye'de 1997 yılında yürürlüğe giren ve zorunlu eğitimi beş yıldan sekiz yıla çıkaran eğitim reformunu kullanarak eğitim ile mutluluk arasındaki nedensel ilişkiyi analiz etmektedir. Mevcut literatür, eğitimin iş olanakları, gelir düzeyi ve sağlık gibi alanlarda olumlu etkiler yarattığını geniş çapta desteklerken, eğitimin mutluluk üzerindeki doğrudan etkisi hâlâ tartışma konusudur. Çalışmanın temel hipotezi, eğitimin bireylerin beklentilerini yükselterek rapor edilen mutluluk üzerindeki olumlu etkilerini dengeleyebileceğidir. Araştırma, reformun bölgesel uygulanma farklılıklarını araç değişken (IV) yöntemi ile kullanarak nedensel çıkarım yapmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bulgular, eğitimin gelir ve geleceğe yönelik beklentiler üzerinde anlamlı pozitif etkiler yarattığını, ancak özellikle kadınlar için mutluluk üzerindeki doğrudan etkisinin istatistiksel olarak anlamlı olmadığını ortaya koymaktadır. Bu sonuçlar, eğitimin mutluluğa olan etkisinin doğrudan bir ilişkiyle sınırlı olmayıp ekonomik ve sosyal faktörler gibi dolaylı mekanizmalar aracılığıyla daha karmaşık bir yapıya sahip olduğunu göstermektedir. Eğitim ve mutluluk arasındaki zayıf ilişkinin yalnızca içsellik ya da ara değişkenlerle açıklanamayacağı, aksine yükselen beklentiler teorisinin daha güçlü bir açıklama sunduğu belirtilmektedir. Araştırmanın sınırlılıkları arasında, mutluluk verilerinin öz-beyanlara dayanması ve analiz kapsamının reformdan etkilenen bireylerle sınırlı olması nedeniyle bulguların genelleştirilebilirliğinin kısıtlı olması yer almaktadır. Bu çalışma, eğitim politikalarının geleneksel ekonomik çıktılarla birlikte zihinsel ve öznel iyi oluşu da dikkate alacak şekilde şekillendirilmesi gerektiğine işaret ederek literatüre önemli bir katkı sunmaktadır.

Keywords

Türkiye, Eğitim reformu, Mutluluk, Refah, Fark-analizi. JEL Codes: H51; H52; I12; I26

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