Subjective construal of happiness among urban educated Bengali youth: A preliminary study using grounded theory approach

Abstract

A quick glance at the vast number of contemporary researches on happiness brings out terms like subjective wellbeing,satisfaction with life, contentment. Few researchers, in the current decade, however, have followed the qualitative paradigm, with the aim to “discover” the idea of and beliefs regarding happiness, as they occur in the society. The current research was a similar attempt, intended to extract the de-facto ideas that four contemporary young, urban, Bengali individuals, residing in Kolkata had regarding happiness. Sample constituted two males and two females; constructivist grounded theory was the method that was used. Analysis revealed conception of happiness to be intrinsic, which was expressed in terms of peace and contentment, and associated with compassion, forgiveness and “letting go”. Activities such as pursuing one's hobbies, participating in adventurous activities, focussing on one's goals and distraction were enumerated as ways and means that led to happiness. A harmonious relationship with individuals close to the participants was mentioned as a significant factor behind happiness. Keywords: happiness, qualitative, grounded theory

What Types of Happiness Do Korean Adults Pursue?—Comparison of Seven Happiness Types

“…Our study has some implications in terms of theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects. First, in relation to lay conceptions of happiness studies [10][11][12]33], we suggested a taxonomic basis for the seven types of happiness. We successfully captured the complexity of adult happiness in Korea and specifically illustrated the layperson's diverse viewpoints on happiness in everyday life.…”

“…Recently, researchers reached the consensus that happiness studies need qualitative, culturally sensitive, and subjective approaches, as well as objective and statistical approaches [7][8][9]. Several studies have sought to identify the diverse conceptions of happiness in various regions through qualitative or mixed methodology [10][11][12]. Although an individual's average level of happiness and the variance in adult happiness is strongly influenced by genetic factors and by the effects of experiences on each individual [13,14], the recent findings suggest that the various concepts of adult happiness are created by complex socio-environmental structures, such as cultural values, social roles, and life cycles [10,[15][16][17][18][19].…”

The Strategic Influence of Social Factors on Self-Perceived Happiness of Spanish University Students

“…An interesting approach for future research. Another measurement tool is The Full Life Versus The Empty Life (Peterson et al, 2005) with a three-dimensional approach which analyses three different forms of happiness related to pleasure, commitment and meaning. Other forms of measuring happiness are much simpler, using a single quantitative item (11-point scale, 0-10): "Do you feel happy in general?…”

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