Besides characteristics such as wealth, health, and government, is there more that can affect national happiness? Can culture influence happiness - the beliefs, values, and traditions that also differentiate groups? Several dimensions of culture influence happiness beyond the stability and wealth of societies.
Prioritizing Groups versus Individuals
When most people consider culture, they think about the most visible aspects, such as language, religion, dress, and food. They think about French and Urdu, crucifixes and the call to prayer, loincloths and tuxedos, taco, and pasta. And while these elements of culture are interesting, psychologists understand that culture is something deeper. Culture is a set of shared beliefs, attitudes, self-definitions, and values. Researchers analyzing the psychological dimensions of culture tend to examine how people relate to one another, how they understand themselves, their words, and the things they hold most dear.
One way of understanding cultural groups is to divide them into “individualists” and “collectivists.” Individualistic societies are those that think of the individual as the most important basic unit. People in individuals societies are typically seen as separate, unique, and free to make personal choices, even if they conflict with desires of the larger group. Members of the individualistic societies can usually choose their own spouse, profession, and living quarters. Each person is seen as unique and special. Sound familiar? if you’re a reader from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Western Europe, you hail from an individualistic society. Collective societies, on the other hand think of the group as the most important basic unit. People living in collectivist societies are seen as connected to one another through powerful ties of duty and obligation. Collectivists often work to promote group harmony, even if it means sacrificing their individual desires, because the group is seen as more important than the individual . The group, in fact, defines who the individual is. Individualistic societies tend to suffer from more social ills, such as divorce, suicide, and homelessness, whereas people in collectivistic societies can feel frustrated by their personal sacrifices. But it’s not all bad news. Individuals tend to feel creative and enjoy more social freedoms, whereas collectivists often enjoy more extended social support.
This is an exert from: Happiness - Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth
