Introduction to Living Standards and Social Well-Being

Abstract

This special issue contains five articles on the subject of living standards and well-being, important topics in social economics. The authors assess the so-called squirrel cage of work-and-spend, and the culture of overconsumption in the USA and other industrialized countries. They evaluate overwork and the implications for balancing work and family, and underwork and the need for a basic income. The articles in this special issue point to a myriad of policy proposals to be found not only in employer practices but through broader universal policy solutions as well, such as nationally applicable labor standards, and access to paid leave and flexible scheduling.

Keywords:

• John A. Ryan
• living standards
• well-being
• basic income
• consumption
• family policy
• P.R. Sarkar