The Economics of Happiness

Wendy Sweetman recently organised a public screening of the film The Economics of Happiness.

The Economics of Happiness is an award-winning film which gives an analysis of globalisation and its impact on our lives. The first half of the film depicts how globalisation leads to unhappiness, depression and insecurity. It shows how globalisation breeds cultural self-rejection, competition and divisiveness; how it structurally promotes the growth of slums and urban sprawl; how it is decimating democracy. “Globalisation has blurred the lines between what you need and what you want; wants have become needs,” said one of the interviewees. The film makers interviewed a variety of activists from all seven continents sharing their thoughts on how globalisation impacts our lives.

 The film shows how globalisation continues to lead to the waste of natural resources because our current economic system encourages consumerism, placing a greater dependence on natural resources. This part of the film also showed how globalisation accelerates climate change, threatens the livelihoods of those dependent on local markets, and increases conflict due to greater competitiveness. It shows how globalisation has destroyed cultures and languages around the world because people are more and more drawn to the “global language and culture”.

The second half of the film provides a solution to this “destructive” path we’re on. The film argues that we need to begin to localise our economies, politics and cultures. It spells out the policy changes needed to enable local businesses to survive and prosper. It gives examples of community initiatives that are moving the localisation agenda forward, including urban gardens in Detroit, Michigan and the Transition Town movement in Totnes, UK. It also proposes greater regulations on multinational and transnational corporations at a domestic level.

The Economics of Happiness forces you to start reflecting on the day-to-day decisions we make about the type of lives we want to live. It makes you question whether we even need all the things we are sold by big corporations. It challenges us to start thinking of ourselves as part of a greater humanity. The film shows how we can become agents of change in this world instead of contributors to the destruction of the planet. It’s definitely one of those documentaries which are an absolutely must to watch.