Why are the French so miserable? One researcher has a theory.
That's the thesis of Claudia Senik, a professor at the Paris School of Economics. In a forthcoming paper, Senik argues that France's "cultural mentality" and educational system inspire miserableness among its citizens.
Despite a high standard of living, the French have gloomy expectations for 2013, a Gallup poll found. They also have a high depression and suicide rate.
As Jamie Doward and Hussein Kesvani report in the Guardian, Senik drew her conclusions about French misery from a survey of opinion data:
Crucially, however, Senik finds that French people who live in other countries report lower happiness levels than the natives, while immigrants who move to France are more happy than the indigenous population. The longer immigrants live in France and become part of its society, the less happy they claim to be."This suggests that there is something in the culture that makes French people miserable," claims Senik.
A low level of life satisfaction among the French has been documented extensively as far back as the 1970s. One theory â?? that language could be a factor â?? appears to have been discounted by Senik. She finds that French-speakers in Switzerland or Canada are as happy as people from other communities.
(AP Photo)
