the statistical analysis of spatial data is usually done under gaussian assumption for the underlying random field model. when this assumption is not satisfied, block bootstrap methods can be used to analyze spatial data. one of the crucial problems in this setting is specifying the block sizes. in this paper, we present asymptotic optimal block size for separate block bootstrap to estimate the...

Connecting private dwellings to the water main is expensive and typically cannot be publicly financed. We show that households’ willingness to pay for a private connection is high when it can be purchased on credit, not because a connection improves health but because it increases the time available for leisure and reduces interand intra-household conflicts on water matters, leading to sustaine...

I define wellbeing as preference realization. Wellbeing can be measured with affective (the amount of pleasant versus unpleasant experiences) and cognitive (satisfaction with life in general and life domains) measures. Since its inception 25 years ago, the SOEP has included cognitive measures of wellbeing. In 2007, the SOEP included four items (happy, sad, angry, afraid) as an affective measure...

Subjective Well-Being and Relative Deprivation: An Empirical Link This paper explores the relationship between two well-established concepts of measuring individual well-being: the concept of happiness, i.e. self-reported level of satisfaction with income and life, and relative deprivation/satisfaction, i.e. the gaps between the individual's income and the incomes of all individuals richer/poor...

Crime and Mental Wellbeing We provide empirical evidence of crime’s impact on the mental wellbeing of both victims and non-victims. We differentiate between the direct impact to victims and the indirect impact to society due to the fear of crime. The results show a decrease in mental wellbeing after violent crime victimization and that the violent crime rate has a negative impact on mental well...

This paper analyzes the causal relationships between marriage and subjective well-being in a longitudinal data set spanning 17 years. We find evidence that happier singles opt more likely for marriage and that there are large differences in the benefits from marriage between couples. Potential, as well as actual, division of labor seems to contribute to spouses’ well-being, especially for women...

Are happiness patterns structurally the same when comparing poor and rich countries? Using cross-sectional data from the SALDRU93 survey, we show that the relationships between subjective well-being and socioeconomic variables have a similar structure and is U-shaped in age in South Africa as in developed countries. Well-being rises with income. Unemployment is detrimental to reported well-bein...

This paper uses recent data for Germany and a new outcome variable to assess the consequences of parental separation on the well-being of youths. In particular, it is considered how subjective well-being, elicited from an ordinal 11-point general life satisfaction question, differs between youths living in intact and non-intact families, holding many other potential determinants of well-being c...

Sen’s capability approach permits re-appraisal of a central concept in health and social care, and international development—‘quality of life’ (QoL). We compare Sen’s capability view of QoL with current views in health care, and re-define QoL as ‘the gap between desired and actual capabilities’. A causal pathway linking resources to capabilities, and finally to QoL, is postulated. The notion of...

Using data from the General Social Survey, we study the role of income in self-reported happiness. Unexpected income gains increase happiness but individual happiness is not very persistent over time. Relative income is more important than absolute income, in particular, income relative to individuals’ own cohort working in the same occupation group, and living in the same region. Perceptions a...