For the last week or so, I have found myself preoccupied with an article in The New York Times about the startling study, “The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness,” based on a study by two economists. The authors of the study found that across lines of economic status, race, class, and geography, and in spite of women’s greater equality and choices, women report more unhappiness than women in the early 1960s. According to this study, we are even unhappier than………MEN!!

Readers, what do you think? Would love to hear your comments and perceptions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/opinion/26douthat.html?th&emc=th

Hi,
I think they are wrong! I am happier now than I was in 1960.

Having a sociological base, the 1st question that I would ask is about the methodology of each study and whether one or both might not be credible. Are the measurable baseline criteria the same? What is the definition of unhappy and were they the same in each study. It is interesting that the latter study was by economist (was the first study?). Possibly during economic downturns, we are all a bit less happy. And come on, everybody was happier during the '60's

“What is Freedom without Love? Passion drives us, and love keeps us! Today with the true distinction between being happy and living happily ever after with the partner of your dreams doesn't seem to exist anymore.”

I sure was much happier in the 60's. Here I am, just retired from a successful career, enough money, good enough spouse(20 years, he's younger w/ good solid career), friends I visit frequently in San Francisco and on Kauai in Hawaii----so what's the problem?? Also thrilled w/ Obama victory election. But Calif where I live and the nation and whole world seem more supremely messed up than imaginable. Houses of cards everywhere starting w/ our capitalist society that must have middle class over-spending and upper class stepping on the poor to keep economy humming. Used to feel that every voice mattered; no longer. Only rich powerful voices seem to matter. Best friend's husband dying rapidly from recently diagnosed lung cancer--he never smoked--he's failing daily; what are we here for? to love a partner and others yes, even if they can all be snatched from our lives in a minute. But, what? Glad y'all are thinking about it, so are a lot of us.Sorry if this was very dark.

Good Heavens Josie...would yu want to live in a society that wasn't capitalist? Most people are where they are in society by their own choices...good or bad. Trouble is, nobody is willing to work for what they want...they want somebody to hand it to them, unearned.

I think one could argue that this "study" simply shows that Men are happier in the year 2009 than they were in 1960.

Depends on the woman.

I live in California as well and it really seems women here are having a hard time (LA). Liberated, yes, independent, yes, but at a high cost. There is a lot of competition going on and isolation. However, there may be a shift at the horizon: So many women entrepreneurs on the internet are now calling for more collaboration and cooperation, making each other happier and richer in the process. I am game!
Was I happier in the 60s? Heck, yes, I was a baby :)
Thanks for great food for thought!

First few points made are important, how can we measure happiness. Bhutan measures there Gross National Product in their peoples Happiness, as spoken about in Michael J. Fox's new book, and the most recent interviews he's done. These simple facts can be found by searching Bhutan and Happiness or Michael and Happiness. What if the survey was from the turn of the century to the turn of the century, say 1910 to 2010, and we were to look at Life as told by Sinclair Lewis in "Babbit", or Joseph Hegesheimer in "The Happy End" or Edith Wharton's "The Greater Inclination". And then I think of these few Lines from a current Movie you may recognize...
"Father, I simply believe that religion...
Camerlengo Patrick McKenna: I did not ask if you believe what man says about God. I asked if you believe in God.
Robert Langdon: I'm an academic. My mind tells me I will never understand God.
Camerlengo Patrick McKenna: And your heart?
Robert Langdon: Tells me I'm not meant to. Faith is a gift that I have yet to receive.

From past writing to current writing one must observe:
If when you are given the gift of Faith, how can you not receive happiness.

Genetically it has been researched some depression can occur in 23% percent of people quicker, if three causal acts occur very close together in a short period of time. As for an example, Loss of Income, Loss of Relations or Family Member, Loss of Home. With this downturn in the economy no fare assessment can be made without a fare comparison to a comparable period of time, as was the Great depression of the 1920's. The Dust Bowl of the 1930's.

Are Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Mary Baker Eddy happy where we are today or do they begrudge the efforts we've made since their times of radical change?

The Women who win awards in Mass Communications and honor the younger Women making careers in Communications are spreading warmth and happiness between the Generations of Women. These are Matrix Award Winners. Tom Hanks with Jessica Lange gave an award to their publicist at this most recent event. A clue to the Movie Quote.

To be Liberated and Unhappier, I daresay, the unhappiness has nothing to do with the Liberation, and has everything to do with the mental state in which each person, whether it be Woman or Man, envisions his own state of mind, health and happiness.

I would like to close with a quote from a blogger named Al-Cordoby.

"What brings happiness, for both men and women, is having a purpose in life and a sense of belonging. In most cases, this involves belonging to a strong family and circle of close friends. Today, people have no purpose in life except for money. The family has been blown apart. Friendships are mostly transient and shallow. We are living in a Hell of cosmopolitan liberal humanist materialism."

This quote was taken May 29th 2009 from an InterReligious Dialogue:

I wouldn't go so far as saying we are living in a Hell..., but whats wrong with being Cosmopolitan?

It is interesting to note Al-Cordoby's quote comes from a discussion comparing womens happiness changes from the 1950's to now.

Welcome back to the states Karen. Small book stores need you in Kansas City, and in Virginia. If you get down around those parts, look up the James Branch Cabell Library.

I would suspect that the more liberated women are the louder and longer their complaints. Women have been trained for centuries to endure and smile. In the past they did so. As that training fails, they yell when a shoe pinches.

Karen,

In regard to the article about women's happiness, I would want to know how the survey was done and what criteria was used. Liberation of women doesn't necessarily mean happiness. When you consider the quiet, easy life of the 60's as opposed to the turbulent and frightening world we live in now, this may explain why women are not as happy.

As for myself. I am happier now. In the 60's I was married with three children, going to school and running a household. I felt disconnected from my husband, sometimes from my children, and from most of what was going on around me. Now, I know who I am, what makes me happy, and have the means to pursue it.

'Good Heavens Josie...would yu want to live in a society that wasn't capitalist? Most people are where they are in society by their own choices...good or bad. Trouble is, nobody is willing to work for what they want...they want somebody to hand it to them, unearned.'

Bev, I sometimes find this type of thinking quite worrying. Nobody can deny that we're not all born on a level playing field. Some people are born with good cards and others with bad. Granted, it's then THEIR choice to make their situation better. But, for example, to say that most people are poor or uneducated or ill because of their own stupid choices is to legitimize social differences in a dangerous way. Some people think socialist societies, or at least semi-socialist societies like the British one, provide a fairer deal for everyone.

Just a thought. And only tangentially related to the issue of women's happiness!

I Think I was a bit of a Prig!!! Ohh I hope not. My English Friends explained it to me after I read the description From "Middlemarch".
So Sorry.

Your comment:

Name:
E-mail/HTTP:

Enter the string of characters appearing in the picture:
Remember Me