Social Science Path of Inquiry

Social Science Path of Inquiry

In recent years, social scientists have directed significant interest in establishing and understanding individual judgment and feeling about happiness. The social science of well-being as a discipline acknowledged the crucial role that human social life contributes to their level of happiness which directly influences their well-being.

Psychology Field

The field of psychology, from the social science path of inquiry has proved to be extremely crucial in the unveiling of human happiness. This path defines human happiness as an emotion that is caused by the environment in the lie of a human being (Johnson and  Acabchuk, 2018). Human beings are identified to be social as well as prosocial beings who value the interactions that they encounter in their environments as the most important and valuable moments of their day. As such, depending on the kind and nature of interactions that people get to encounter, the relationships that they get to establish and the sense of security that they get to receive from such relationships is what gives them a sense of self- satisfaction. Happiness in psychology is a feeling and has nothing to do with the qualities of a person. For this reason, happiness can be an occurrence that an individual experiences for a specific period and to a varied extent. This definition is contrary to the philosophical definition of happiness, which is glued on the qualities of a human being. The definition of happiness in psychology is more scientific as it relates to the feelings of a human being, which are communicated to the body through the brain. The surrounding human environment is determined to be a lead factor that determines their level of happiness. The nature of relationships established and the kind of interactions experienced significantly influence how happy people are and also the time extent for which their happiness will last.

The field of psychology has determined that each past generation was less happier than the current one. The progress in generational happiness is facilitated by access to a better life due to access to better education, improved economic status, and enhanced gender equality, among other issues for the generation after as indicated by Ahuvia, Thin, Haybron, Biswas-Diener, Ricard, and Timsit, (2015). The trend proves to be improved as people get to have an enhanced level of their well-being that shapes their attitudes and perception of life. As such, it means that prior generations play a crucial in shaping the well-being of their next generations. The decisions and actions made today directly influence the outcomes of the immediate environment that people create for their next generation. The field of psychology equally indicated that individual well-being and happiness are improved with age. The life lived and the experiences that one goes through give them an opportunity to progress their lives and have a better later life. For this reason, from the psychology perspective, it can be concluded that life tomorrow will be happier and more fulfilling than life today.

Social scientists in the psychology field have directed significant efforts towards ensuring that the happiness levels of individuals are well captured. The development of different happiness and well-being scales has enhanced accurate measurement for determining individual levels of happiness. With such reliable measuring scales, it becomes possible to identify the common causes of human happiness and how these influence their level of well-being.

Anthropology Field

For a long time, the anthropological field has shied away from studying and establishing how human beings can live happy lives that they consider fulfilling. However, the ethnographic examination of well-being has proved that understanding the underlying causes of human happiness remain to be the target objective of anthropologists. Walker and  Kavedžija (2015).  Indicated that happiness is defined as an individual’s, community, or society’s optimal state, which is purposely set to be achieved. Every facet of an individual’s and community life is geared towards facilitating the realization of the best outcomes possible. Humanity is the common factor that connects the different societies, indicating the common approach that is pursued in the quest to achieve happiness and well-being. As much as individuals in different societies have different definitions and approaches for which they can achieve the optimal outcomes of their lives, the aspect of life satisfaction is a common factor. As a universal goal for all human societies, ultimate happiness and well-being are subject to the aspect of cross-cultural analysis. While communities approach and seek to fulfill their sense of happiness in different ways, the ultimate target is to reach the optimal state for which their capabilities are explored. Here, happiness is perceived from different angles and perspectives for which people desire and strive to make the best out of their lives. It is from this anthropological perspective that a community’s, nations, and even a region’s determination of happiness get to be developed and determined.

From the anthropological perspective, different cultures experience different levels of happiness based on some societal factors that directly influence their lives. The world happiness report is based on an anthropological perspective that identifies the happiness levels of people from different countries and regions based on the various cultural practices and the way of life. The differing levels of happiness are determined by aspects, including life support, life expectancy, corruption levels, among others. These determining factors are cultural determinants in different nations, and they directly shape the culture and the way of life of the people (Smith & Reid, 2018). As such, these determining factors and the level in which they are implemented in a culture or nation determine the level of happiness of the people. From this perspective, however, based on the level of satisfaction of the individual, people get to experience happiness at different levels at different times. Their levels of happiness are, to a larger extent subject to the determinants of social aspects.

The approach for which the field of psychology measures human happiness is inaccurate. While there are common established standards that are considered common means of measurement, it is crucial to understand that different societies have set varied life standards that they would want to achieve. For this reason, a specific point in one community is considered appropriate, while in another, it may be considered low standard. The judgment on the optimal levels of the state of society is subject to the quality of life of people. As such, it becomes crucial to understand the variations across societies and how these may influence the outcomes of her medication. Here, there is a need for collaboration to establish the rate of measuring a society’s optimum conditions to determine the level of happiness and well-being that the people get to experience.

Ahuvia, A., Thin, N., Haybron, D., Biswas-Diener, R., Ricard, M., & Timsit, J. (2015). Happiness: An interactionist perspective. International Journal of Wellbeing, 5(1).

Johnson, B. T., & Acabchuk, R. L. (2018). What are the keys to a longer, happier life? Answers from five decades of health psychology research. Social Science & Medicine, 196, 218-226.

Smith, T. S., & Reid, L. (2018). Which ‘being’in well-being? Ontology, wellness and the geographies of happiness. Progress in Human Geography, 42(6), 807-829.

Walker, H., & Kavedžija, I. (2015). Values of happiness. HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory, 5(3), 1-23.