Sept. 24, 2020. Moreover, happiness itself is often construed as one of those internal attributes that are to be pursued and attained via per- , February 27 They each hold different perspectives in their pursuit of happiness. support@essayblender.com Lu, L., (2001). Guest User, December 30, 2019 A person, a vacation, a letter, new shoes. Living independent personhood is highly regarded in pursuant for happiness; it is highly emphasized even by the dominant churches, Lu & Gilmour (2004). While the Asians are calm and collected in their description and approach towards happiness, their definition include feelings such as solemn and reflection, the Americans oh the other hand are upbeat and show no reflective emotions in their understanding of happiness. View Essay - Happiness in Different Cultures.docx from PSY 225 at University of Phoenix. rickisking   Pasted as rich text. The Asian pursuit of happiness is a more social-based approach rather than individualistic interests. That western people desire wealth as a pursuit for happiness whilst poorer people in the east can be more happy. While to the Americans happiness is greatly individualized, the Asians tend to view happiness in a more social and collective way.   Your previous content has been restored. Different cultures experience happiness differently. In Germany happiness is often mistaken for joy or excitement, both of whom are limited and more superficial. For example, "American conception of happiness emphasized on being … In fact, in some parts of the world happiness is not necessarily a desirable state. In China you will find that the most common answer among young people for a better happier life is to have simply lots if money. Not necessarily. There's also the issue that what it means to be happy can vary by culture as well. Paste as plain text instead, × Using the film introduction for this unit as a guide, Nepal: A Girl’s Life, do some researchand discuss how happiness is understood in another country or culture. Lu, L., & Gilmour, R. (2004).Culture and Conceptions of Happiness: Individual Oriented and Social oriented SWB.Journal of Happiness studies,5, 269-291. But this isn't a bad thing. The East is said to be more people-oriented, where happiness is a result of deep personal interactions. Journal of Happiness studies, 5, 223- 239. Year after year, the United Nations', In fact, some studies show that poor people are actually happier in Eastern countries, possibly because in those cultures happiness is closely associated with factors other than income and material possessions, such as personal relationships. Western Euro-American theories of SWB are firmly based on a highly individual self concept. These variations arise in their cultural definitions of happiness, motivations that underlie the pursuit for happiness and in factors considered in predicting happiness Uchida, Norasakkunkit &Kitayama (2004). How to be charismatic – backed by science; Sept. 22, 2020. This varies from individuals, ethnicities and cultural societies to another. Of course, commonalities across cultures … In fact, they may actually be, “Among those cultural values, family ties and social roles are top priorities for happiness in different cultures.”, happiness is associated with luck or chance, Escape the happiness trap (by avoiding the pursuit of happiness!). Trust in and obedience was also highly regarded in order to maintain harmony Lu (2001). Blog. However, a country’s development levels are not the only factor. In reality, cross-cultural research suggests the opposite. Taking a multi-dimensional and cross-cultural approach can make us rethink how we go about finding our personal happiness, challenge our assumptions, and ultimately make the journey towards happiness much more diverse and satisfying. I got put off by the very generalised views given about eastern and western ideas of material wealth resulting in happiness. In other cases, pursuing individual happiness may cause conflict with other values, like preserving social harmony, so it's less important to chase it. If you have an account, please in It's all about happiness, By Many researchers from the field of happiness psychology have studied whether happiness could be regarded as universal. For most of us, pursuing happiness is a given, and we may make changes to our lives as part of that pursuit. Much effort is invested in a bid to convince oneself and the others that you are happy, it also essential in boosting self-confidence Szarota (). In this culture, people go to great lengths to prepare their funeral, choosing the clothes they'll wear, finding matching shoes and jewellery, planning the meals that will be served, etc. There seems to have been a view that different cultures experience happiness differently. Meditation and mindfulness, When Marilyn Coates-Lower packed up her life and went sailing the world, she faced her fears head-on. Your email address will not be published. It has also shown that culture influences how we seek happiness and regulate our emotions: European Americans typically want to feel peppy emotions like excitement and cheerfulness, while Hong Kong Chinese prefer calmer states like peace and serenity. For example, in Chinese culture, funerals are a happy occasion and preparing for them can generate levels of enthusiasm that would be hard to understand in the West. All these surveys and reports offer interesting insights into the ‘ingredients’ of happiness across cultures. Personal achievement in fulfilling goals and one’s objectives were other factors that both agree on to bring happiness. Traditionally, the West is considered materialistic, and happiness is said to come from achievement and acquisition. The way happiness is defined in different languages also points at how differently it's experienced across cultures. Depending on what culture a person is a part of may be the defining factor for whether a person his happy or not. In fact, in some parts of the world happiness is not necessarily a desirable state. These variations arise in their cultural definitions of happiness, motivations that underlie the pursuit of happiness and in factors considered in predicting … Take two developed nations, like the United States and Japan, and you'll still see differences in how happiness is perceived. They encourage sharing of individual success with the people around you Lu (2001). Another important aspect of the American view of happiness is the personal right to free will and expression. What are some places in the world where the definition of happiness and/or freedom might be different? If culturally variable, the definition of happiness can also change over time, and is then not a strong criterion for public choice within cultures. Among those cultural values, family ties and social roles are top priorities for happiness in different cultures. PeaceLoveandTacos Happiness is a major concern for them, therefore, society has created an infrastructure that avails great opportunities and freedom in the pursuit of individual happiness Lu &Glimour (2004). If happiness is different in different cultures, it cannot serve for the comparative evaluation of cultures. The Chinese case is just one of many examples that show how happiness in different cultures is interpreted and experienced. Personal happiness aims can be effected by cultural factors. Lu and Gilmour 40 conducted a cross-cultural study on the conception of happiness; they found that the American conception of happiness emphasized on being upbeat, whereas the Chinese conception of happiness focused on being solemn and reserved. And while it's important to remember there’s no standard recipe, the findings suggest that there are pretty much two ways of understanding and experiencing well-being and happiness: the Western and the non-Western way. Hedonism appears to be more strongly related to happiness in more individualistic cultures. Get Expert Assignment Help and Score Superb Grades. Strong human connections and interpersonal relationships are important in places like Switzerland, Iceland and Australia, just as much as they are in East Asian countries or in Latin America. 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