Determinants of Life Satisfaction in Turkey: Cross Section Analysis for Provinces

Öz

In recent years, studies on the economics of happiness have gained importance. The economics of happiness, an area where psychology, sociology and economics intersect, is also closely followed in Turkey. Happiness or life satisfaction can be affected by many factors such as physical, socio-cultural, environmental factors as well as economic factors. In this study, the factors affecting life satisfaction were tried to be found by using the 2015 TURKSTAT Life Index values. In addition to variables such as housing, working life, income, health, education, environment, security and social life, a policy variable has also been used in the study. As a result of the cross section analysis we find that the satisfaction of life is positively affected by housing, security, social life; there is no relationship between income and life satisfaction, and the policy variable affects life satisfaction to a certain extent

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Life Satisfaction, Economics of Happiness, Cross-section Analysis, Public Policy, Turkey

Türkiye’de Yaşam Memnuniyetinin Belirleyicileri: İller Üzerine Bir Yatay Kesit Analizi

Öz

Son yıllarda mutluluk ekonomisi üzerine çalışmalar önem kazanmıştır. Psikoloji, sosyoloji ve iktisat biliminin kesiştiği bir alan olan mutluluk ekonomisi Türkiye’de de ilgiyle takip edilmektedir. Mutluluk veya yaşam memnuniyeti, ekonomik etkenler kadar fiziki, sosyo-kültürel, çevre gibi birçok faktörden etkilenebilmektedir. Bu çalışmada 2015 yılı için Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu TÜİK’den alınan İllerde Yaşam Endeksi değerleri kullanılarak yaşam memnuniyetini etkileyen faktörler bulunmaya çalışılmıştır. Çalışmada, konut, çalışma hayatı, gelir ve servet, sağlık, eğitim, çevre, güvenlik, sosyal yaşam gibi değişkenlerin yanında ayrıca politik ekonomi literatüründen ilham alınarak bir politika değişkeni kullanılmıştır. Yapılan yatay kesit analizleri sonucunda, konut, güvenlik ve sosyal yaşamın yaşam memnuniyetini olumlu etkilediği; gelir ile yaşam memnuniyeti arasında bir ilişkinin olmadığı, politika değişkeninin ise yaşam memnuniyetini belli ölçüde etkilediği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yaşam Memnuniyeti, Mutluluk Ekonomisi, Yatay kesit Analizi, Kamu Politikaları, Türkiye

Kaynakça

1. Alvarez-Diaz, A., Gonzalez, L., & Radcliff, B. (2010). “The politics of happiness: On the political determinants of quality of life in the American States”. The Journal of Politics, 72(3), 894-905.
2. Andrews, F. M, & Rick, C. (1976). “The validity of measures of self-reported well-being”. Social Indicators Research, 3(1), 1-19.
3. Beşel, Furkan. (2015). “2013 yılı yaşam memnuniyeti araştırması sonuçlarının il bazlı ekonomik, sosyal ve siyasi analizi.” Karabük Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi 5 (2), 227-236.
4. Blakemore, K, & Warwick-Booth L. (2013). “Social policy: an introduction”, Mcgraw-Hill Education (UK).
5. Bonini, Astra N. (2008). “Cross-national variation in individual life satisfaction: Effects of national wealth, human development, and environmental conditions.” Social Indicators Research 87 (2), 223-236.
6. Bracco, E., Lockwood B., Porcelli F., & Redoano M. (2015). “Intergovernmental grants as signals and the alignment effect: Theory and evidence.” Journal Of Public Economics 123:78-91.
7. Campbell, Angus. (1981). “The Sense of well-being in America: Recent patterns and trends.”
8. Caner, A. (2016). “Happiness and life satisfaction in Turkey in recent years.” Social Indicators Research, 127(1), 361-399.

9. Clark, A. E., & Oswald A.J. (1998). “Comparison-concave utility and following behaviour in social and economic settings.” Journal Of Public Economics 70 (1):133-155.
10. Cohen, S., Sherrod D. R., & Clark M. S. (1986). “Social skills and the stress-protective role of social support.” Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology 50 (5):963.
11. Diener, E., & Seligman M. (2004). “Beyond money: Toward an economy of well-being.” Psychological Science in The Public Interest 5 (1):1-31.
12. Easterlin, R. A. (1974). “Does economic growth improve the human lot? Some empirical evidence.” In Nations And Households in Economic Growth, 89-125
13. Easterlin, R. A. (1995). “Will raising the incomes of all increase the happiness of all?” Journal Of Economic Behavior & Organization, 27(1), 35-47.
14. Emmons, R. A., & Diener E. (1985). “Factors predicting satisfaction judgments: A comparative examination.” Social Indicators Research 16 (2):157-167.
15. Eren, K. A., & Aşıcı, A. A. (2017). “The determinants of happiness in Turkey: Evidence from city-level data.” Journal Of Happiness Studies, 18(3), 647-669.
16. Gerdtham, U., & Johannesson M. (2001). “The relationship between happiness, health, and socio-economic factors: Results based on Swedish microdata.” The Journal Of Socio- Economics 30 (6):553-557.
17. Gitmez, A. S., & Morcöl G. (1994). “Socio-Economic status and life satisfaction in Turkey.” Social Indicators Research 31 (1):77-98.
18. Grossman, P. J. (1994). “A political theory of intergovernmental grants.” Public Choice 78 (3- 4):295-303.
19. Kula, S., & Çakar B. (2015). “Maslow ihtiyaçlar hiyerarşisi bağlamında toplumda bireylerin güvenlik algısı ve yaşam doyumu arasındaki ilişki.” Bartın Üniversitesi İİ BF Dergisi 6 (12).
20. Maslow, A. H. (1943). “A theory of human motivation.” Psychological Review 50 (4):370.
21. Oswald, A. J. (1997). “Happiness and economic performance.” The Economic Journal 107 (445):1815-1831.
22. Radcliff, B. (2001). “Politics, markets, and life satisfaction: The political economy of human happiness.” American Political Science Review, 95(4), 939-952.
23. Selim, S. (2008). “Life satisfaction and happiness in Turkey.” Social Indicators Research 88 (3):531-562.
24. Servet, O. (2017). “Mutluluğun Türkiye’deki belirleyenlerinin zaman içinde değişimi.” Akdeniz Üniversitesi İktisadi Ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi 17 (35):16-42.
25. Sole-Olle, A., & Sorribas-Navarro P. (2008). “The Effects of partisan alignment on the allocation of intergovernmental transfers. Differences-in-differences estimates for Spain.” Journal of Public Economics 92 (12):2302-2319.
26. Şimşir, N. C. (2013). “Türkiye’de mutluluk ekonomisinin belirleyicilerinin ekonometrik analizi.” Finans Politik & Ekonomik Yorumlar 50 (579):7-22.
27. Tomes, N. (1986). “Income distribution, happiness and satisfaction: A direct test of the interdependent preferences model.” Journal Of Economic Psychology 7 (4):425-446.
28. Tsou, M., & Liu J. (2001). “Happiness and domain satisfaction in Taiwan.” Journal Of Happiness Studies 2 (3):269-288.
29. Van de Stadt, H., Kapteyn, A., & Van de Geer, S. (1985). “The relativity of utility: Evidence from panel data.” The review of Economics and Statistics, 179-187.
30. Veenhoven, R, & Kalmijn W. (2005). “Inequality-adjusted happiness in nations egalitarianism and utilitarianism married in a new index of societal performance.” Journal of Happiness Studies 6.4: 421-455.
31. Veenhoven, R. (1996a). “Developments in satisfaction-research.” Social Indicators Research 37.1: 1-46.
32. Veenhoven, R. (2007). “Subjective measures of well-being. Human well-being.” Palgrave Macmillan, London,. 214-239.
33. Wilson, W. R. (1967). “Correlates of avowed happiness.” Psychological Bulletin 67 (4):294.