Domestic Well-Being Analysis

Happiness is a state of existence that Americans have perused since the founding of this great country. It’s such an important part of American life that “The pursuit of Happiness” is even “laid out in our nation’s Declaration of Independence” (McMahon 783). Happiness is something that may come from many aspects of life: one’s children, employment, financial wellbeing, sports, hobbies, and many other things. Ruth Whippman tells us that "Americans as a whole invest more time and money and emotional energy in the explicit pursuit of happiness than any other nation on earth". Are Americans happier today than they were three centuries ago? Does modern technology, social economic status, religious freedoms, and/or the

Regardless if we are aware of it or not, not many Americans live the supposed American Dream of having a nice car, big house, well paying job, and have a secure family. In the renowned novel The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler he captures those Americans who live invisible in America that work so hard to suffer from the psychological effects of poverty. Not only does Shipler do that but he also indirectly talks about the “American Myth” and the “American Anti Myth through the lives on these individuals.”

An idea that individuals in America have been provided with equal opportunities to grow and pursue their happiness regardless of their economic and social status is the crux of an American Dream, an aspect that has been applied for a long period to define the nation’s psyche. When referring to the American Dream, individuals tend to believe that it relates to having better opportunities to achieve material prosperity, living a comfortable lifestyle, enjoying the nature of the landscape, and living a life without much hustles. However, it is necessary to note that the dream goes beyond just the physical and emotional concepts, and includes the intellectual aspects that promote happiness within a person. As Rosenberg (2011) explains, the

American economy and culture. The “good life” was defined in economic terms and the dynamic economy

At first glance, it would seem that we live in a utopian society. Everything is nearly perfect — we enjoy better health, have more free time, and live better lives overall than those who lived in 18th century America. It would seem to these early Americans that the country’s society today is living the perfect life.

On the other hand, a person in terminal-illness deserves rights. Autonomy and well-being are the two values which the proponents use to support their position. A person in a terminal illness who requests the euthanasia should depend on her own values and autonomy. A person who wants to stop suffering and refuse to have access to life-prolonging medical treatment should be able to choose for her personal well-being. As Kant’s beliefs, a “person's well-being can only matter if she is of intrinsic value and so that it is impermissible to violate a person's rational nature for the sake of her well-being” ( YOUNG, par. 3 ). The only conditions to respect in order to allow the euthanasia possibility is when the person is not in conditions to make

The majority of the the U.S. population identify themselves as being within the middle or working class. The socioeconomic group between the lower and upper classes. is much smaller than most think and is starting to decline. The large increase in income have reshaped the American middle class that most claim to be part of. Today’s higher income of the American middle class family comes from the two-parent income. This income is higher of those of past generations, however, over the past generation, the increase in income for the median-earning family have not resulted in an improved lifestyle. The reason for life not improving for America’s middle class is often misconstrued with over consumption or purchasing of unneeded items and services, but these activities are not the case for the middle class non improved quality of life. Revolving debt and the large increase in life’s fixed expenses such as mortgage, health care, and child care, these factors are the main reasons for the increase in income for middle class families not resulting in an improved life quality.

When some people think of home they think of the place they go to after a long day, or the place they sleep at night. There is so much more to make a home a home, home may not even be a place; home may be a person. My home is my family, my mom in particular though. She is a fighter, a great cook and an even better role model.

Everyone’s personal experiences and identities shape their image of America and their version of the American Dream. For example, people with European dissent and are Caucasian can see America as somewhere they can thrive and live comfortably while people-of-color may see America as a place where underlying racism flourishes. These thoughts about America also vary from social class to social class. The upper-class Americans see the country they live in as easy to live in and that they have achieved the “American Dream”. The middle-class work for what they want and can see their lifestyle as also the “American Dream.” Everywhere else in the world, people in different countries may see the “American Dream” as the cliché white picket fence,

These methods of understanding well being are meant to cover the depth of the topic, acknowledging issues such as gender inequality, poverty, and environmental sustainability. This information is useful to people in many different fields; ranging from politicians, scientists, activists, and everyday citizens. The importance of measuring well being lies in the fact that this information is vital in revealing a country's strengths and weaknesses. By establishing the areas in which a country can improve, their governments have greater incentive to address these concerns and improve the quality of life for their

I believe that a strong socioeconomic status is the foundation upon which other factors of happiness sprout. However, I feel that it is necessary to caution that my view only applies to a comfortable level of financial security, and not necessarily on extensive wealth. Moreover, any such socioeconomic success must facilitate the development of the other elements of happiness if at all it should be viewed as the most important factor of successful

Winning big at the Birth Lottery does not necessarily guarantee that a person will be successful, especially when it comes to things such as joy, contentment, peace, and physical health. A person can be rich and educated, but completely devoid of joy. Here in the Western World the United States, or the “land of opportunity,” was ranked number 15 on the World Happiness Report in 2015. Jeffery Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and one of the editors of the World Happiness Report, as part of a Q&A session explained that “On the personal side, physical and mental health are extremely important in addition to income levels. Personal values are very important. People who are more generous, who express more orientation toward others, more compassion, are also systematically reporting that they’re happier.” Sachs goes on to say, “What we learn about the United States, is that while income has been rising, the social qualities have been worsening – the level of trust, the confidence in our government, has been going down.

“Fitter, Happier, More Productive” are the first words that spoken through a computerized voice on Radiohead’s most acclaimed album OK Computer on the track “Fitter Happier”. Most people live with a view that happiness is an important part of their life and worth striving for, but societal views often cloud this perspective, forcing people to live their life in ways that may not produce happiness. The words in “Fitter Happier” describe this clouded view and explain that we as humans can sometimes be just seen as a machine to produce productivity. The American Dream and attaining wealth to produce happiness has been an extremely significant mythos in American History ever since the inception and freedom of America. America was known for freedom,

The American Dream was a concept introduced in the 1950’s, Post World War 2. Moving forward from the depression Eisenhower developed a unique rubric for America to follow that created a whole new base of unrealistic, ’achievable’ expectations. America became one of the most economically thriving countries, but due to an almost instantaneous advancement in technology, it further fuelled corruption as a result of over-consumption. Notions such as the nuclear family were important to individuals. The fantasy of having a perfect, functional family was an aspiration for most families as it resembled success and superiority within their community. Luxurious living was considered a major necessity - in the same category as basic human requirements i.e Food, Shelter, Clothing. Sam Shepard rejects this notion as he shows that there is always challenges and disorder associated with relationships, especially between the

Then there are people who are minimalist who attempt to live on as little as possible, for them their home is bare and maybe small. For minimalist the home is not there to comfort them or give them stability, the home is just a place that they bought because they had to if they did not want to rely on anyone (Quindlen) else for