Happiness determinants in a Buddhist community: Where Inner Happiness Matters

Authors

  • Sauwalak Kittiprapas College of Economics, Politics, and Globalization, Rangsit University, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14456/tresp.v6i1.249267

Keywords:

Happiness, Inner Happiness, Subjective-Wellbeing, Sustainable Happiness

Abstract

This case study explores happiness determinants in a greenspace community with Buddhist culture in Bangkok’s periphery. The study conceptualizes indicators from various happiness determinants for empirical tests. A primary survey of almost 500 samples of community residents during late 2018 to early 2019 was conducted. The study reveals that much of the happiness of community members is generated by inner happiness and environment quality, among other significant factors such as the perception of equal income status, good family and community relationship, health, and time balance. In addition, appropriate household economic management (with sufficient net income) is highly significant for creating happiness in this community, while absolute income is not necessarily significant. The study also examines happiness determinants and their effects on different subgroups in the community.

References

Alesina, A., Di Tella, R., & MacCulloch, R. (2004). Inequality and Happiness: Are Europeans and Americans Different. Journal of Public Economics, 88, 2009-2042.

Alesina, A., Glaeser, E. L., & Sacerdote, B. (2006). Work and leisure in the U.S. and Europe: Why so different? in Gertler, M. & Rogoff, K. (Eds.), NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2005, 20. MIT Press.

Argyle, M. (2002). The psychology of happiness. Routledge. Balatsky, G., & Diener, E. (1993). Subjective well-being among Russian students. Social Indicators Research, 28, 225–243.

Bataineh, K. (2019). Impact of Work-Life Balance, Happiness at Work, on Employee Performance, International Business Research, 12(2), 99-112.

Blanchflower, D. & Oswald, A. (1992). Entrepreneurship, Happiness, and Supernormal Returns: Evidence from Britain and the U.S., NBER Working Paper Series, Working Paper No. 4228.

Camfield, L., McGregor, J., & Woodcock, A. (2007). “Needs, Wants, and Well-being: Perceived Needs in Northeast and South Thailand”, a presentation at the International Conference on Happiness and Public Policy, 18-19 July 2007, Bangkok, Thailand.

Clark, A., Flèche, S., Layard, R., Powdthavee, N., & Ward, G. (2018). The Origins of Happiness: The Science of WellBeing over the Life Course. Princeton University Press.

Clark, A., Frijters, P., & Shields, M. (2008). Relative Income, Happiness and Utility: An Explanation for the Easterlin Paradox and Other Puzzles. Journal of Economic Literature, 46(1), 95-144.

Clark, A. & Oswald, A. (1996). Satisfaction and Comparison Income. Journal of Public Economics , 61, 359-381. Coccia, M. (2018). Economic inequality can generate unhappiness that leads to violent crime. International Journal of Happiness and Development, 4(1), 1-16.

Diener, E., Kesebir, P., & Tovet, W. (2009). Happiness in Leary, M. & Hoyle, R. (Eds.) Handbook of Individual Differences in Social Behavior. Guilford Press.

Diener, E., & Seligman, M. (2002). Very happy people. Psychological Science, 13, 81–84

Di Tella, R., MacCulloch, R., & Haisken-DeNew, J. (2005), ‘Happiness Adaptation to Income and to Status in An Individual Panel,’ Harvard Business School Working Paper.

Easterlin, R. (1974). Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? Some Empirical Evidence in David, P. and Reder, M. (Eds.), Nations and Households in Economic Growth: Essays in Honor of Moses Abramowitz. Academic Press.

Frey, B. (2007). “Should National Happiness be Maximized?,” presented at the OECD Conference on Measurability and Policy Relevance of Happiness, April 2-3 2007, Rome, Italy.

Frey, B. & Gallus, J. (2012). Happiness policy and economic development. International Journal of Happiness and Development, 1(1).

Frey, B. & Stutzer, A. (2001). What can economists learn from happiness research?, Working Paper 80, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics, University of Zurich.

Frey, B. & Stutzer, A. (2002). What Can Economists Learn from Happiness Research. Journal of Economic Literature, 40, 402-435.

Frey, B. & Stutzer, A. (2005). Happiness Research: State and Prospects. Review of Social Economy, June.

Frijters, P., Shields, A., & Haisken-DeNew, J. (2004). Money Does Matter! Evidence from Increasing Real Incomes in East Germany Following Reunification. American Economic Review, 94, 730-741

Graham, C. & Pettinato, S. (2001). Happiness, Markets, and Democracy: Latin American on Comparative Perspective. Journal of Happiness Studies, 2(3), 237- 268.

Gray, R. & Kranmanon, R. (2007). “A feeling of selfsufficiency and happiness among Thai people,” a presentation at the International Conference on Happiness and Public Policy, 18-19 July 2007, Bangkok, Thailand.

Helliwell, J. (2003). How’s Life? Combining Individual and National Variables to Explain Subjective Well-being, Economic Modelling, 20, 331-360.

Helliwell, J. (2006). “Well-being”, Social Capital, and Public Policy: What’s New?, Economic Journal, 116 (510), 34- 45.

Hussien, S. & Heshmat, Y. (2010). Determinants of Happiness and Life Satisfaction in Egypt. Working Paper No.13 in Inauguration Conference for Launching Information and Decision Support Center-Working Paper Series (IDSCWPS). Cairo.

Inglehart, R. & Rabier, J. (1986). Aspirations adapt to situations - But why are the Belgians so much happier than the French? A cross-cultural analysis of the subjective quality of life. In Andrews, F. (Ed.), Research on the Quality of Life.

Kahneman, D. & Deaton, A. (2010). “Higher income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107 (38), 16489-16493.

Krekel, C. & MacKerron, G. (2020). How Environmental Quality Affects Our Happiness in Helliwell, J., Layard, R., Sachs, J., & De Neve, J.-E., (Ed.), World Happiness Report 2020. New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network

Kittiprapas, S (2018a) What really determines happiness of different groups: a case study of Bangkok. Journal of Business and Economics, 9(5), 318-329.

Kittiprapas, S. (2018b) Buddhist Sustainable Development: A New Approach in Happiness and Development. Thammasat University Press: Bangkok.

Kittiprapas, S., Sawangfa, O., Fisher, C., Powdthavee, N., & Nitnitiphrut, K. (2007). Happiness as a new paradigm for development and public policies. Chulalongkorn Journal of Economics, 19(3), 242-281

Kittiprapas, S., Sawangfa, O., Fisher, C., Powdthavee, N., & Nitnitiphrut, K. (2009). Happiness: New Paradigm, Measurement, and Policy Implications. Synthesis from the International Conference “Happiness and Public Policy”, July 18-19 2007, Bangkok, Thailand.

Knight, J. and Song, L. (2006). Subjective well-being and its determinants in rural China. University of Nottingham, mimeo.

Kusago, T. (2007a). Rethinking of Economic Growth and Life Satisfaction in Post-WWII Japan – A Fresh Approach. Social Indicators Research, 81(1), 79-102.

Kusago, T. (2007b), ‘A Challenge to Improve People’s Lives with Policies Mindful of Subjective Well-Beings,’ a presentation at the International Conference on Happiness and Public Policy, 18-19 July 2007, Bangkok, Thailand.

Layard, R. (2005). Happiness: Lessons from a New Science. Penguin Books. Layard, R. & Clark, D. (2015). Thrive: The Power of Psychological Therapy. Penguin Books.

Liping, X. (2001). The Relationship between Happiness and Social Support. Journal of Chinese Psychology: Acta Psychologica Sinica, 33(5), 59-64

Luttmer, E. (2005). Neighbors as Negatives: Relative Earnings and Well-being. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 120, 963-1002.

Machado, L. (2015). Happiness and health in psychiatry: what are their implications? Archive of Clinical Psychiatry (São Paulo), 42(4). Sao Paulo.

Mendes, J., Guerreiro, M., & Vieira, G. (2007), “Students’ Happiness and Well-being at the University of Algarve, Portugal,” a presentation at the International Conference on Happiness and Public Policy, 18-19 July 2007, Bangkok, Thailand.

Mroczek, D. K., & Spiro, A., III. (2005). Change in life satisfaction during adulthood: Findings from the Veterans Affaire Normative Aging Study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 189–202.

Mahaarcha, W. and S. Kittisuksathit (2007). “Thai Youth Happiness: Evidences from Kanchanaburi Province,” paper presented at International Conference on Happiness and Public Policy, Bangkok, 18-19 July, 2007, organized by Public Policy Development Office and United Nations ESCAP.

MacKerron, G. & Mourato, S. (2013). Happiness is greater in natural environments. Global Environmental Change, 23(5), 992-1000.

O’Brien, C. (2008). Sustainable Happiness: How happiness studies can contribute to a more sustainable Future. Canadian Psychology, 49(4), 289–295.

Okun, M. A., Stock, W. A., Haring, M. J., & Witter, R.A. (1984). Health and subjective well-being: A metaanalysis. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 19, 111–131.

Payutto, P.A. (2011). A brief Introduction to the BuddhaDhamma.

Payutto, P.A. (1992). Buddhist Economics. Buddha Dhamma Foundation.

Payutto, P.A. (2006). Sustainable Development (in Thai). Komon Keemthong Foundation: Bangkok.

Putnam, R.D. (2000), Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Reis, H. T., & Gable, S. L. (2003). Toward a positive psychology of relationships in Keyes, C. & Haidt, J. (Eds.), Flourishing: The positive person and the good life (pp. 129–159). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Sabatini, F. (2014). The relationship between happiness and health: Evidence from Italy. Social Science & Medicine, 114, 178-187.

Sarracino, F. (2007), “Subjective Well-being in Low Income Countries: Personal, Relational, and Social Capital Components,” a presentation at the International Conference on Happiness and Public Policy, 18-19 July 2007, Bangkok, Thailand.

Steptoe, A. (2019). Happiness and Health. Annual Review of Public Health, 40, 339-359.

Van de Stadt, H., Kapteyn, A., & van de Geer, S. (1985). The Relativity of Utility: Evidence from Panel Data. Review of Economics and Statistics, 67(2), 179-187.

Van den Berg, B. (2007), ‘Well-being and the Value of Health,’ a presentation at the International Conference on Happiness and Public Policy, 18-19 July 2007, Bangkok, Thailand.

Van Praag, B. (2007). Perspectives from the Happiness Literature and the Role of New Instruments for Policy Analysis. CESifo Economic Studies, 53(1), 42-68.

Veenhoven, R. (2007). “Measures of Gross National Happiness”, presented at the OECD Conference on Measurability and Policy Relevance of Happiness, April 2-3 2007, Rome, Italy.

Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An Introductory Analysis (2nd ed.), New York: Harper and Raw.

Downloads

How to Cite

Kittiprapas, S. (2020). Happiness determinants in a Buddhist community: Where Inner Happiness Matters. Thammasat Review of Economic and Social Policy, 6(1), 84–134. https://doi.org/10.14456/tresp.v6i1.249267

Issue

Section

Original Articles