"Extreme Commuting" - Rmail
5 views
Skip to first unread message
UAE community blog
Apr 23, 2007, 11:47:19 AM4/23/07
to uaecom...@googlegroups.com
No wonder so many Dubaians are increasingly depressed and frustrated with life here. According to Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam:
From the same article, University of Zurich researcher Alois Stutzer:
Of course here most people aren't doing a long commute by choice, to save more money. They're living in Sharjah because they cannot financially afford to live in Dubai: the rents are actually higher than their income.
And let us not forget the growing numbers of people who commute back to a tiny, empty room or apartment because they have been forced to repatriate their families for economic reasons.
“I was shocked to find how robust a predictor of social isolation commuting is... There’s a simple rule of thumb: Every ten minutes of commuting results in ten per cent fewer social connections. Commuting is connected to social isolation, which causes unhappiness.”
From the same article, University of Zurich researcher Alois Stutzer:
“People with long journeys to and from work are systematically worse off and report significantly lower subjective well-being... According to the economic concept of equilibrium, people will move or change jobs to make up for imbalances in compensation. Commute time should be offset by higher pay or lower living costs, or a better standard of living. It is this last category that people apparently have trouble measuring. They tend to overvalue the material fruits of their commute—money, house, prestige—and to undervalue what they’re giving up: sleep, exercise, fun.
Of course here most people aren't doing a long commute by choice, to save more money. They're living in Sharjah because they cannot financially afford to live in Dubai: the rents are actually higher than their income.
And let us not forget the growing numbers of people who commute back to a tiny, empty room or apartment because they have been forced to repatriate their families for economic reasons.
Link
- Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:49:54 GMT
- Feed (5 subs)
Sent using
R|mail.
R|mail.Visit here to unsubscribe from UAE community blog.
Recommended Feeds/Actions
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages