Evolving Solutions: Human Development/Data Science
Looking at each of the nine trends:
The annual number of hours worked per person has been steadily decreasing from 1870 to 1978, representing about a 50% reduction. I think this trend represents progress because if people are working less they have more free time to spend pursuing non-work activities that make them happy, e.g. with family, friends or activities. It could be the case that people who really enjoy their jobs are not happier if they have more free time, but for the vast majority of the population (based on surveys), a small percentage actually “love” their jobs. At some point, the trend of working less will likely have to stabilize since everyone will have to work at least a minimum number of hours per week in order to be productive. That said, with increases in technology (e.g. computers, AI, robotics), the number of hours actually worked in the future could be very low for most of the world, and this could be good for increasing happiness and equality.
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of democracies from 1800 to 2010, especially following World War II from 1950 onward. I think this represents progress because in a democracy people have a greater say in their own government, freedoms (both economic and social), and protections against harmful practices (e.g., data collection, privacy, unhealthy food, unsafe roads). I am surprised that progress in this area has not occurred more rapidly in the world because, growing up in a democracy, many of the freedoms we take for granted seem “normal” and “universal” and that everyone in the world would either have these freedoms or fight to have them. However, looking at the trend and reading about world events, I also realize that there are still many authoritarian governments in the world that have complete control over their citizens (e.g. Russia, China, North Korea) and that it is extremely difficult for those citizens to have their own rights.
The percentage of slaves or serfs in the world has been decreasing from 1750 to 2000, with a slight upward bump in the curve following the end of World War I, which later decreased. This trend definitely represents progress because people have now had the opportunity to work in other fields and jobs that they want to work in, rather than serving others. That freedom makes people more happy and in the long term, I think the freedom to choose one’s own career can also increase equality in the world, especially in terms of equality of opportunity.
From 1920 to 1995 the trend of awarding more degrees to women at all levels has been steadily increasing. That trend is great for equality of opportunity for women and I think it represents a tremendous improvement in progress for society. I wonder why it has taken so long to happen, but at the same time, given how social perceptions have been changing toward women in the workforce over the last 50 years, I am not entirely surprised.
From 1993 to 2011 the gender earnings gap has been closing between men and women, except for 15-24 year olds where it has slightly widened. This does not represent progress for young women, such as myself, although while in university (not necessarily in the workforce) that trend doesn’t worry me, especially since more women are attending university now than in the past.
The trend line plots happiness against how tech-savvy countries are, showing those that rank among the “happiest” in surveys every year (like Denmark) are happier than those that are not. However, I question whether this is really true and whether being more “tech-savvy” actually translates into greater happiness. While it is nice to have a smartphone and laptop, it seems that every year Western democracies are spending more time in front of their screens and less time socializing with friends and family which I imagine people in less tech-savvy countries are doing. So, greater tech-savviness probably means greater equality among a country’s citizens and greater “progress” but I’m not sure it means the people themselves are more happy.
The trend here shows that from 1900 to 1922 and through 1975, homemakers have been spending less time working around the house with more free time to themselves. This could represent progress depending on how these homemakers have used their extra free time, instead of having to work. If it means that homemakers have now gone into the workforce themselves, that just seems like homemakers have traded one job for another. However, if that means homemakers did not like to be homemakers and either had more free time or the opportunity to work in a field of their choosing, then I think this represents progress.
The graphs show the number of showers people take in winter has dramatically increased from 1950 to 1999. I’m not sure if this represents progress but, thinking it through logically, if one has the ability to take more showers in the cold then it seems one must feel more wealthy or there must be greater progress that has been made (e.g. more homes have water heaters now).
Weekly work hours have significantly decreased from 1870 to 2000 in several western European countries. As in graph 1 above, I think this trend shows progress for the same reasons and can also be the foundation for greater equality and happiness in the world.
Reflecting on the empirical data of the above nine trends, my feeling is that humanity is overall heading in the right direction. More free time, less time spent at work, greater democracy, and a higher standard of living all support Amartya Sen’s definition of freedom. Combining these elements will give people more freedom and more opportunity to pursue happiness. While data science can be used by private companies for profit only, I am hopeful that we will use data science for more positive analysis and to better humanity.