Does Happiness Have A Place in Demography?

In this study, the author would attempt to critique the assumption of Rationality in Demography . This topic will be explored since various studies have already been attempting to prove that the assumption of Rationality is not anymore very reliable when it comes with decision-making. As far as Demography is concerned, decisions are important in determining certain trends in demographic processes or dynamics like Fertility, Marriage, Mortality, and Migration. Furthermore, Demography, most especially Formal Demography has been known as a discipline usually dealing with aggregates where Rationality is assumed. Then, the author would explore how Happiness can be a substitute to this Rationality assumption, proposing that Happiness can capture the limits of Rationality as well as aspects of Irrationality referring to previous researches on Bounded Rationality, Happiness Economics, and Happiness Studies which involve various demographic processes. Then the author would look at sample instances when Irrationality or Bounded Rationality, Happiness, and a demographic process like Fertility come into play. Finally, the author would attempt to present possible frontiers Demographers can explore in the study of Happiness, particularly in its measurement and its applications in policy-making, using Bhutan's GNH Survey as a model.