Culture, Self, and Subjective Well-Being: Cultural Psychological and Social Change Perspectives

Abstract

Culture serves as a major force shaping the way people conceptualize the self, think about happiness, and cope with difficulties and upheavals in life. The present paper starts with a conceptual analysis of traditional Chinese and modern Western views of the self, to contrast the social-oriented versus individual-oriented nature of the self embedded in the two cultural traditions. These culture-specific modes of self construction can then shed light on the diverse meanings people hold for happiness and well-being in different societies. Building on the social-oriented view of the self, which emphasizes relatedness, fluidity, morality, self-constraint, harmony, and sensitivity to others, subjective well-being for the Chinese is construed around fulfilling one's obligations and maintaining homeostasis (dialectical balance). In contrast, emanating from an individual-oriented view of the self, which emphasizes independence, self-determination, consistency, and personal striving, happiness is a prize to be fought over, and entirely one's responsibility to accomplish this ultimate goal of life. Similarly, culture-specific preferences in individual-society and/or interpersonal alignment mirror the two contrasting views of the self, and link up with the collaborative project of pursuing happiness.

Self, social identity and psychological well-being

“…Goals and values about well-being can deeply differ between cultures (Kan, Karasawa & Kitayama, 2009;Kiran Kumar, 2006;Park, Peterson & Seligman, 2006;Sharma & Sharma, 2006). The culture-specific modes of self-construction (e.g., the individual-oriented or societal-oriented) can shed light on diverse meanings people hold for happiness and wellbeing in different societies (Lu, 2008). Emanating from individual-oriented view of self (as in Western societies), happiness is a prize to be fought over, and entirely one's responsibility to accomplish this ultimate goal of life.…”

“…Cultural practices are not only sources of personal and social identity but also operate as strategies for managing self and its relationship with the rest of the world (see also Misra, 2001;Misra & Gergen, 1993). In Western cultures (such as Europeans or North American) self is viewed as separate and autonomous, whereas in many non-Western cultures, self is defined in terms of a network of social relations or by webs of relationships (Callero, 2003;Hardie, Kashima & Pridmore, 2005;Lu, 2008). The Western cultures tend to construe the self as separate from the social context and thus emphasize autonomy and independence -a representation called independent self-construals (Hagtvet & Sharma, 1995;Hagtvet, Maan & Sharma, 2001).…”

Well-Being; Studi Sosiodemografi di Kecamatan Getasan

“…Konsep kebahagiaan (happiness) mempunyai arti yang hampir sama dengan konsep kesejahteraan atau well-being (Lu, 2008 Sedangkan yang berstatus cerai hidup 63,38% dan cerai mati 66,30% (Lumaksono, et al, 2015). …”

Who Is Happy in Taiwan? The Demographic Classifications of the Happy Person

“…Taiwan's fast expanding higher education institutions in recent years have not only resulted in much higher female college enrollment, but also a shift of values towards independence and individuality among young women (Lu & Kao, 2002;Lu & Yang, 2006). Independence and individuality as values have been linked to personal happiness for the Taiwanese (Lu, 2006(Lu, , 2008. However, the Chinese society is yet to come to terms with high-achieving females (Bowen, 2003;Lin & Liu, 1997).…”

“…Furthermore, the conception of SWB is intricately culture-bound (Christopher, 1999;Ng, Ho, Wong, & Smith, 2003). I have systematically analyzed the Chinese conceptualization of happiness (Lu, 2001;Lu & Gilmour, 2006), and explored cultural and psychological correlates of happiness for the Chinese people (Lu, 2005(Lu, , 2006(Lu, , 2008. In this paper, I will explore sex and age effects and their interactions with marital status and education to clarify the demographic profile of the happy Chinese, which has not yet been reported.…”