CULTURAL PERCEPTION OF HAPPINESS

Arguably, not all people are happy. The world happiness report of 2015 and a study reveals that happiness varies across languages, cultures, and time (Helliwell et al., 2015 p.42; Oishi, Graham, Kesebir, and Galinha, 2013 p.574). Also, recent psychological studies, approach to mental illness has changed from addressing illness to mental wellness. From that, social sciences have appreciated the development of the theoretical approach to wellbeing, particularly subjective wellbeing. Subjective wellbeing is used interchangeably with the term happiness significantly in related subjects from one culture to another (Pflug, 2008 p. 551). Nevertheless, it is challenging to study the concepts of happiness and subjective wellbeing since they are elusive in that they suffer from varied cultural definitions and perceptions. Some related cultural elements such as semantic metalanguage, cultural norms, individualism, collectivism, and cultural beliefs may help to understand the cross-cultural perspective of happiness.

The definition of happiness in cultural perspective relies on semantic metalanguage. That is, it differs significantly from one culture to another. While this article is predominantly inclined into the English definitions and interpretations, some languages like Chinese do not have equivalent definitions for happy or happiness (Wierzbicka, 2004 p.37). From the Merriam Webster dictionary, happiness is “a state of wellbeing or contentment, a pleasurable or satisfying experience, or good fortune.” Hence, American English associates happiness with pleasurable feelings or situations that foster felicity. In contrast, the Chinese word that is closely related to the emotion of pleasure or felicity is Xi, which is defined as “festive joy” (Wierzbicka, 2004 p.36). In other studies, Germans regard happiness as a “surprising event,” which has elements of luck (Oishi, Graham, Kesebir and Galinha, 2013 p.562). Besides, the world happiness report reveals a more varied cultural definition of the terms happy and happiness.

From that perspective, the perception of happiness varies from one culture to another, depending on a culture’s semantics. The definitions of words carry meaning and cultural values. That way, the definition of the term happiness alone poses a significant difference in the perception of happiness from one culture to another. For instance, one may be lucky in American society, and still consider themselves, or be identified as unhappy. However, in German culture, which is closely associated with the French, Polish, and Russian in some cultural contexts, happiness is attributed to luck. In a way, there is a lack of precise cross-cultural definition of happiness; hence cultures associate happiness with words that have value closely related to positive emotions. For instance, glücklichin German, which is the term for happiness, is mostly associated with luck or fortune. Luck and fortune are events that foster a person’s wellbeing, thus happiness. Also, the Chinese xi is associated with a rare event, which is bringing positive emotions. Overall, it appears that outside the English semantics, happiness is embedded in other cultural values of wellbeing rather than pleasure, contentment, and fortune.

Besides semantics, cultural norms influence the perception of happiness. This is best demonstrated in the contexts of emotional expression. For instance, in America, the normalized response to “How are you?” is “I am fine, thanks.” That way, if “fine” stands for wellbeing, such a person is regarded as happy. Besides, the Anglo cultural perception of facial expression is that smiles dominate most American conversations. Data from Western society reveal that smiling and laughing are associated with happiness (Helliwell et al., 2015 p.28). In that view, normalizing smiling in conversations poses an ambiguity in the perception of happiness from bystanders of American society. That is, while one may be smiling in America, it may not necessarily indicate that they are happy (Oishi, Graham, Kesebir, and Galinha, 2013 p.573). However, smiling is an expression of happiness due to contentment, or satisfaction, or fortune (Pflug, 2008 p.558). In Plug’s study, some South Africans indicated that smiling is associated with happiness as a positive emotion to materialism. Also, in German French, Polish, and Russian cultures, smiling is mostly associated with extraordinary events that have positive emotions (Pflug, 2008 p.558). In that view, there are different perceptions of happiness due to varied cultural norms.

Some socioeconomic variables such as individualism and collectivism and cultural beliefs pose varied cultural perceptions of happiness. Notably, both individualism and collectivism influence the quality of life for an individual. In individualistic societies, the rights and needs of an individual are their priorities (Pflug, 2008, 558). A collectivistic society appreciates the fundamental perception of values that are essential for the whole community. Both affect the perception of happiness, depending on the emphasis on interpersonal relationships. Cultural values and behaviors are embedded in the social context, such that the circumstances affecting one person influence the outcomes of other people in their social context (Pflug, 2008, p.552).

In contrast, individualistic societies tend to sanction the values that promote self-critical attitudes culturally. In that view, Pflug’s study found that people in individualistic societies were happy of not happy depending on their achievements, while happiness in collectivistic societies depended on the emotions in people’s interpersonal relationships. Similarly, cultural beliefs embedded in both individualistic and collectivistic societies influence the perception of happiness. For instance, Americans value personal accountability; hence, it is an individual responsibility to pursue happiness (Pflug, 2008, p.553; Wierzbicka, 2004 p.42). In contrast, the Chinese and Taiwanese believe happiness as subject to community values, in that the pursuit of happiness is mostly through interpersonal relationships (Pflug, 2008, p.553). Hence, the individualism and collectivism and beliefs cause a varied cultural perception of happiness.

To sum up, the perception of happiness varies from one culture to another due to sematic metalanguage, cultural norms, individualism, collectivism, and cultural beliefs. The definition of happiness differs significantly from one culture to another. In a way, some cultures seem to lack a precise definition of happiness, but associate happiness with words that have value closely related to those of happiness in the English language. Also, cultural norms influence the perception of happiness. Individualistic societies, the rights, and needs of an individual are their priorities, while a collectivistic society appreciates the fundamental perception of values that are essential for the whole community.

Reference

Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R. & Sachs, J., 2015. World Happiness Report 2015, New York City: The Earth Institute of Columbia.

Oishi, S., Graham, J., Kesebir, S., and Galinha, I., 2013. Concepts of Happiness Across Time and Cultures. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39(5), pp.559-577.

Pflug, J., 2008. Folk Theories of Happiness: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Conceptions of Happiness in Germany and South Africa. Social Indicators Research, 92(3), pp.551-563.

Wierzbicka, A., 2004. ‘Happiness’ in a cross-linguistic & cross-cultural perspective. Daedalus, 133(2), pp.34-43.