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SAGE Publications Ltd
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DESPITE AUSTERITY MOST OF US ARE HAPPY

London, UK (02 April, 2012) – Despite the difficult economic times most people in the UK, according to a new YouGov poll, are broadly content about their personal relationships but nearly half are worried about money.

• Almost half (47%) of UK adults said they were not content with their financial security
• 83% of UK adults are content with their personal relationships
• People with 3 or more children are less content with their personal relationships (69%), and feel like they have less control over their lives (47% vs. 67% UK-wide).
• The unemployed were the least content in terms of financial security (25% vs. 50% UK-wide), their environment and community (53% vs. 71%), and the level of control they had in their life (38% vs. 67% UK-wide).

The poll, commissioned to mark the high level meeting organised by the Kingdom of Bhutan and focused on “Happiness and Wellbeing: defining a new economic paradigm” at the United Nations in New York on 2nd April 2012. This follows the UN General Assembly resolution introduced by the Kingdom of Bhutan with support from 68 Member States, and unanimously adopted by the UN, which called for a “holistic approach to development” aimed at promoting sustainable happiness and wellbeing.

It marks a year since the launch of the Campaign, a year that has included a series of road shows at universities around the country, a conference about the riots and the publication of a series of “Making the Case for Social Science research” reports.

The Campaign is now actively exploring the impact of social science on government policy making focussing on public engagement.

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Further information from: Shirley Ayres, Campaign Officer, Campaign for Social Science  
Phone: 020 7330 0897
Email: s.ayres@acss.org.uk
www.campaignforsocialscience.org.uk

The Academy of Social Sciences is the learned society for the social sciences in the UK.  Its members include 750 academicians from both universities and the policy and practice communities and 43 member learned societies. Its mission is to promote social science in the UK for the public benefit.

The Campaign for Social Science was established by the Academy to raise the profile and importance of social science for government and amongst the wider public. A key objective of the Campaign is to create a popular vision of the impact of social science, what social science can do and demonstrate its impact on policy making and the delivery of public services.

With new investment from independent academic and professional publisher SAGE, the Academy of Social Sciences has marked the one year anniversary of its Campaign for Social Science with the appointment of a Campaign Officer.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2140 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 19th - 21st March 2012.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+)

The YouGov poll was commissioned by the Campaign for Social Science, with funding from SAGE Publications Ltd.

SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology, and medicine. An independent company, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC. www.sagepublications.com