Question of economic inequality and subjective wellbeing : happiness, mental health, and political inequality perspective ; Question des inégalités économiques et du bien-être subjectif : perspective du bonheur, de la santé mentale et des inégalités politiques

The main purpose of his thesis is to examine whether income inequality impacs well-being among European people; more specifically, it examines the relationship between income inequality and happiness, mental health, and political inequality. Specifically, this thesis attempts to answer the following questions: What impact, if any, does a level of economic inequality have on the European citizens' happiness, mental health, and political engagement? Using multiple, hierarchal binomial regression and utilising a combination of the cross-national surveys, the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) and European Social Survey (ESS), this thesis investigates the case of European citizens in the early twenty-first century. Paper I examines the appropriateness of the standard deviation in measuring well-being. A new measure, 'Dynamic Range', is proposed and compared to the existing disparity measures. The analysis reveals that in some countries, the inequality of happiness ranking has changed substantially. The findings strongly suggest that income inequality is significantly more critical than previously anticipated in determining well-being inequality. The development of a new metric, the 'Dynamic Range,' greatly assisted in reaching this conclusion. Paper II examines whether income inequality has any effect on mental well-being. Firstly, it explores the variations in the level of mental well-being among European people. Secondly, the determinants of mental well-being are investigated. Thirdly, the social capital, social anxiety, and neo-materialist hypotheses are tested, explaining the association between income inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient and mental well-being, measured by the positive and negative affect balance indicators. Both composite scores measuring well-being and distress performed similarly in the analysis. The findings refute the tunnel effect hypothesis, claiming that wealth inequality gives people optimism and boosts their happiness. However, they support the relative deprivation theory, ...