Happiness
Happiness Economists now devote considerable effort to rigorous identification of the sources of happiness or well-being. To do so, they draw on a range of methods and disciplines, from philosophy and psychology to statistics and, of course, economics. In this seminar, we will sample this fascinating literature and discuss the “science of happiness” and its implications for our own lives. Students will also build a portfolio of work designed to answer a happiness-related question of specific interest to them, using the qualitative and quantitative methods learned during the semester, and then share their findings with one another.
Professor Matthews is clearly dedicated to this topic, and loves sharing this unique world of the study of happiness with his students. Every class is a look into a new paper or idea in happiness with weekly readings that serve as the backbone for class discussion. Class time could have been more organized and less spontaneous, however, it was a part of the class that I enjoyed a lot. Though I don't know if we were supposed to learn as much about regression analysis as we did, it is certainly not a bad tool to take a deep dive into.
Professor Matthews is clearly dedicated to this topic, and loves sharing this unique world of the study of happiness with his students. Every class is a look into a new paper or idea in happiness with weekly readings that serve as the backbone for class discussion. Class time could have been more organized and less spontaneous, howev …Read more
Professor Matthews is clearly passionate about the subject and genuinely enjoys introducing students to the study of happiness. Each class brings in new research or ideas, with weekly readings from a textbook. Most classes would start with a short 5 minute written analysis on the readings, followed by a discussion. There were no exams and just one project to end the year.
Professor Matthews is clearly very passionate about this field. Classes could be more interesting but he often tends to spend too much time explaining simple concepts, which can make the classes boring. Overall, he’s genuine and understanding, but the course didn’t provide a lot of value in my opinion. Take this if you want an easy fyse.