The Pursuit of Happiness in America

Everybody wants to know what makes people happy. Artistic takes on the topic in literature, popular songs and cinema are widespread, but not terribly helpful. Psychological accounts are mostly about how to avoid unhappiness. So who actually is happy, and why? This book offers real answers from the real world of American society. Their source is the General Social Survey, a scientific poll of Americans offering some five decades of state-of-the-art data. An additional enhancement is a set of qualitative interviews commissioned by the author adding depth to the extraordinary breadth of the GSS. The approach of the book is distinctly sociological. Are married Americans happier than unmarried Americans? Does social class matter? How about college? The answers lie within this wide and deep dive into happiness in America.

Brian J. Jones is Professor of Sociology at Villanova University, USA. He is the author of Social Capital in America (2011) and Social Capital in American Life (2019) and co-author of Sociology: Micro, Macro, and Mega Structures (1995) and Social Problems: Issues, Opinions, and Solutions (1988).

1. On Happiness.- 2. Pillars of Happiness: Attitudes.- 3. Sources of Happiness: Social Structures.- 4. "With a Little Help from My ...".- 5. "E PLURIBUS DUO": Education.- 6. Screen Time.- 7. Lost Causes.- 8. Happiness Dynamics in the Age of Covid-19.