S5 Ep1: Should governments care about wellbeing? with Professor Richard Layard
Mar 13, 2024
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On the podcast, they discuss the importance of measuring happiness for societal progress, the impact of a national mental health program, government intervention in societal values, addressing the training divide, and exploring well-being through social science perspectives.
Governments should prioritize well-being over GDP to improve societal happiness.
Key determinants of well-being include health, relationships, and community engagement, highlighting the need for a holistic approach to happiness.
Deep dives
The Evolution from Economics to Well-Being
Professor Lord Richard Leard transitioned from focusing on unemployment and income inequality to a broader attention on well-being as a paramount societal indicator. This shift stemmed from the conviction that a good society is one where individuals feel fulfilled and satisfied. By emphasizing the importance of active labor market policies and recognizing the strong impact of people's internal experiences on societal well-being, Professor Leard advocates for a comprehensive approach that considers happiness within government policy.
Factors Influencing Well-Being
Key determinants of well-being include health, human relationships, and community engagement, surpassing the traditional emphasis on income and economic indicators. Longitudinal surveys have highlighted the critical influence of mental and physical health, along with the quality of relationships and community interactions on overall happiness levels. Broadening the scope beyond financial metrics, focusing on mental health support, equitable social integration, and preventative well-being measures in schools can significantly enhance societal well-being.
Impact and Advocacy for Well-Being Initiatives
Professor Lord Richard Leard has played a pivotal role in advancing evidence-based psychological therapy programs like the NHS Talking Therapies, emphasizing mental health support alongside physical health care. By advocating for increased access to apprenticeships, acknowledging the stark disparity in training opportunities for different socio-economic groups, and promoting a societal shift towards prioritizing well-being over purely economic objectives, Professor Leard champions a holistic approach to improving individual and collective happiness.
Professor Lord Richard Layard is one of the first economists to look at happiness as a metric that Governments worldwide should strive to improve in their population.
He was the founder-director of LSE's Centre for Economic Performance and is now the director of the Centre's Wellbeing programme. In 2005, he wrote Happiness: Lessons from a New Science, which was published in 20 languages.
We all quest for happiness, but how do we measure a happy life? Is it linked to wealth, relationships or absence of pain? Professor Richard Layard doesn't believe that the Gross Domestic Product of a country tells us much about the well-being of its people.
On the eve of his 90th birthday in March 2024, Professor Lord Layard joins host Will Hutton to discuss the need to take well-being and happiness more seriously.
Season 5 of the We Society Podcast from the Academy of Social Sciences tackles the big questions through a social science lens. Throughout this series, you'll be hearing some of the best ideas to shape the way we live.
Hosted by journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, we interview some of Britain’s top social scientists and public figures from across the globe to explore their evidence-led solutions to society’s most pressing problems.
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