Why Danes are smug: comparative study of life satisfaction in the European Union
| Autor: | Kaare Christensen, James W. Vaupel, Anne Maria Herskind |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2006 |
| Předmět: |
Alcohol Drinking
Climate Health Status media_common.quotation_subject Popular culture Personal Satisfaction Danish Slogan Genetics Humans media_common.cataloged_instance Medicine European Union Marriage European union Hair Color Exercise Language General Environmental Science media_common Family Health Eurobarometer business.industry Research Smoking Contentment General Engineering Life satisfaction General Medicine language.human_language Food Quality of Life language Happiness General Earth and Planetary Sciences business Social Welfare Sports Demography |
| Zdroj: | Christensen, K, Herskind, A M & Vaupel, J W 2006, ' Why Danes are smug : comparative study of life satisfaction in the European Union ', B M J (Online), vol. 333, no. 7582, pp. 1289-91 . https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39028.665602.55 |
| ISSN: | 1468-5833 0959-8138 |
| DOI: | 10.1136/bmj.39028.665602.55 |
| Popis: | Danes are unrivalled in satisfaction with life. The University of Leicester recently published the World Map of Happiness (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/28\_07\_06\_happiness\_map.pdf) with Denmark as number one. For more than 30 years this country with five million inhabitants has ranked first in Eurobarometer surveys (europa.eu.int/comm/public\_opinion/index\_en.htm). More than two thirds of Danes are “very satisfied” with their lives according to these surveys. In no other Eurobarometer country has this proportion exceeded a half, and for most of the countries the proportion is less than a third (figure)⇓. To explain Danish contentment we sifted through literature, statistics, and common knowledge. Proportion who report to be very satisfied in 15 EU countries according to Eurobarometers (europa.eu.int/comm/public\_opinion/index\_en.htm) We focused on accounting for why life satisfaction in Denmark substantially exceeds that in Sweden and Finland, the two Eurobarometer countries most similar to Denmark. We have ordered our hypotheses roughly from most to least implausible. Hair colour —It may indeed be the case that “blondes have more fun.” This hypothesis was launched in the 1950s by a commercial slogan for a hair dye and was cemented in popular culture in 1978 by rock musician Rod Stewart's album of the same title. Sweden, however, has a higher prevalence of blondes than Denmark.1 Genes —Genetic factors might influence differences in life satisfaction within a country,2 and Danes might have a special genetic constitution. Genotypes in Sweden, however, are similar to those in Denmark because most Swedes were Danes until the 17th century. Food— Meals in Denmark can be politely described as unmemorable. “Danish cuisine” is an oxymoron, except perhaps the open faced “butter breads” that accompany the beer and aquavit Danes consume for lunch. Older Danes satisfy their hunger with potatoes, gravy, and a bit of pork, and younger ones devour hotdogs, hamburgers, and Baltic-style pizzas. Danish … |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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