The social context of well–being

Helliwell, John F.; Putnam, Robert D.

doi:10.1098/rstb.2004.1522

Cited by 1,627 publications

(863 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…According to Helliwell (2003) and Helliwell and Putnam's (2004) analyses of the World Values Survey, the most important factor for SWB is close, loving relationships, and marriage in particular. This finding is borne out by other studies.…”

Section: Universalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We can see this kind of universal relativism in studies which analyse the contextual determinants of wellbeing -and thus which align with the universalising stance -but which at the same time consider cultural differences that moderate the way such determinants are experienced. In terms of relationships for example, the first determinant identified by Helliwell (2003) and Helliwell and Putnam (2004), marriage, might be of greater benefit to people in more individualist cultures than to those in collectivist ones, since the generally lower levels of social support in individualist cultures means that the relative impact of close relationships may be greater (Kasser & Ahuvia, 2002). In terms of the second factor, income, while it may universally be the case that this matters for wellbeing (at least until one's basic needs are met), cultural value systems can play a significant role in the weight and importance attached to money.…”

Section: Universal Relativismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the most prominent sources of information on these comes from the long-running World Values Survey, which reveals extensive commonalities across diverse cultural and geographical locations. Helliwell (2003) and Helliwell and Putnam (2004) analysed three successive waves of this survey (spanning 1980 to 1997), covering over 87,000 people across 46 countries, looking for the most prominent contextual determinants of subjective wellbeing (SWB, e.g., life satisfaction). Their analysis found that the top five factors, ranked in terms of importance, were: family relationships; financial situation; work; community and friends; and health.…”

Section: Universalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Positive cross-cultural psychology: Exploring similarity and difference in constructions and experiences of wellbeing

Lomas¹

2015

Intnl. J. Wellbeing

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Critical theorists have accused positive psychology of paying insufficient attention to cultural variation in the way wellbeing is constructed and experienced. While there may be some merit to this claim, the field has developed a more nuanced appreciation of culture than its critics suggest. However, it could also be argued that positive psychology has not sufficiently appreciated or absorbed the wealth of literature within cross-cultural psychology pertaining to wellbeing. This paper aims to forge a bridge between positive psychology and cross-cultural psychology by introducing the idea of 'positive cross-cultural psychology,' an interdisciplinary conceptual space for existing and future cross-cultural research on wellbeing. Moreover, the paper offers a meta-theoretical perspective on trends within this literature. It is suggested that crosscultural research is underpinned by two broad orienting perspectives: a 'universalising' perspective, which holds that, despite apparent cultural differences, people share a common human nature; and a 'relativising' perspective, which argues that people are strongly shaped by their cultural context. However, the paper finally argues that most research can actually be seen as offering a synthesising perspective -labelled here as 'universal relativism' -which recognises universals in the ways wellbeing is sought, constructed and experienced, but allows for extensive variation in the ways these universals are shaped by culture.

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Section: Universalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Universal Relativismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Universalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Positive cross-cultural psychology: Exploring similarity and difference in constructions and experiences of wellbeing

Lomas¹

2015

Intnl. J. Wellbeing

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“…When looking at the current evidence of the relation between interpersonal relationships and SWB, several aspects of interpersonal relationships have been found to contribute positively to SWB. These are: having many interpersonal relationships in general (Baldassare, Rosenfield, & Rook, 1984;Hilleras, Aguero-Torres & Winblad, 2001;Street & Burge, 2012), interpersonal relationships with friends and neighbours (social companionship, emotional support) (Lennartsson, 1999;Helliwell & Putnam, 2004), participation in activities that involve social companionship, or meeting or interacting with other people (Litwin & Shiovitz-Ezra, 2011), engagement in productive activities (e.g. volunteering and providing care), social activities (e.g.…”

Section: Herbers and Meijering -Older Adults In Sheltered Housingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interpersonal Relationships and Subjective Well-being among Older Adults in Sheltered Housing

Herbers¹,

Meijering²

2015

RASP

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<div><p>The aim of this article is to examine how experiences with interpersonal relationships contribute to older adults’ well-being in the residential context of sheltered housing. We draw on data collected from sixteen in-depth interviews with older adults living in sheltered housing in a small town in northern Netherlands. Our participants experienced the interaction with their children as of primary importance among their interpersonal relationships, while interactions with other residents were rather superficial. Their children offered emotional support as well as instrumental support and were found to play essential roles in our participants’ wellbeing. Moreover, participants expressed that the social and physical activities organized by the residential care-facility offered them the opportunity to remain physically and mentally active. The help received from housekeepers and caregivers was found to be another important element of interpersonal relationships and so was the reciprocal nature of support exchanged with other sheltered housing residents. We conclude that the benefits of interpersonal relationships in sheltered housing should be considered when designing policy for the well-being of older adults ageing in place.</p></div>

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“…Numerous literature reviews on this topic have been written in recent years within the discipline of psychology (e.g., Diener, Suh, Lucas, & Smith, 1999;Dolan, Peasgood, & White, 2008;Kahneman & Krueger, 2006) and economics (e.g., Blanchflower & Oswald, 2004;Helliwell & Putnam, 2004). Human wellbeing has been described as "the ultimate 'dependent variable'," that is, the outcome from which all other outcomes derive importance (Helliwell & Putnam, 2004, p. 1435. Other outcomes, such as income and occupational status attainments, are typically valued because they are perceived as contributing to wellbeing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elucidating the constructs happiness and wellbeing: A mixed-methods approach

Jongbloed¹,

Andres²

2015

Intnl. J. Wellbeing

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Abstract:In this study we examine the constructs "happiness" and "wellbeing" in a sample of Canadian women and men in mid-adulthood. Through a sequential mixed-methods approach, we utilize Sen and Nussbaum's conceptualizations of capabilities to inform the themes generated from semi-structured interviews. We find that participants understand happiness and wellbeing as two distinct constructs that are illuminated in the metaphors happiness as balance and the gears of wellbeing. Second, we corroborate these constructs through a principal component analysis of questionnaire data. We conclude that happiness and wellbeing are not static entities, but rather iterative processes that are constantly in flux and determined by the fulfillment of the often contradictory needs for (1) goal-achievement and an acceptance of reality, and (2) freedom along with meaning-making, which often involves creating restraints in one's life. These findings have important implications for those using happiness and wellbeing as policy outcome measures.

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The social context of well–being

Cited by 1,627 publications

References 53 publications

Positive cross-cultural psychology: Exploring similarity and difference in constructions and experiences of wellbeing

Positive cross-cultural psychology: Exploring similarity and difference in constructions and experiences of wellbeing

Interpersonal Relationships and Subjective Well-being among Older Adults in Sheltered Housing

Elucidating the constructs happiness and wellbeing: A mixed-methods approach

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