ASSOCIATION OF HAPPINESS AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC VARIABLES IN A SOUTH AFRICAN TOWNSHIP

Öz

The study reported in this article explored the happiness status of residents in a South African township of Kwakwatsi. The study mainly investigates the relationship between subjective happiness and selected socio-economic and demographics variables. The mean happiness score was 17.82 (SD= 2.92), indicating that individuals are happy with their lives. Further analysis revealed gender, age, marital status, educational attainment, household size and employment status as significant predictors of subjective happiness. Household size was negatively associated with happiness. Household income was not important in explaining the variations in happiness scores. Age, education and employment status were the highest predictors of happiness. The results of the study point to important findings relating to low income households and may form inputs into debates about wellbeing in South Africa

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Happiness, Wellbeing, Life satisfaction, Determinants, Township, South Africa

Kaynakça

1. Blanchflower, D and Oswald, AJ (2004), “Well-being over time in Britain and the USA”, Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 88, pp. 1359– 1386.
2. Bookwalter, J and Dalenberg, D (2004), "Subjective well-being and household factors in South Africa", Social Indicators Research, Vol. 65, pp. 333-353.
3. Clark, AE and Oswald, AJ (1994), “Unhappiness and unemployment”, Economic Journal, Vol. 104, pp.648-659.
4. Clark, AE and Oswald AJ (1996), “Satisfaction and comparison income”, Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 61, No. 3, pp. 359-381.
5. Cramm, J., Mİller, V and Nieboer, A (2010), “Improving subjective wellbeing of the poor in the Eastern Cape”, Journal of Health Psychology, Vol. 15, No.7, pp.1012-1019.
6. Demir, M and Weitekamp, LA (2007),. “I am so happy cause today I found my friend: Friendship and personality as predictors of happiness”, Journal of Happiness Studies, Vol. 8, pp. 181–211.
7. Diener, E (1994), “Assessing subjective well-being: progress and opportunities”, Social Indicators Research, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 103-157.
8. Diener, E and Ryan, K (2009), “Subjective wellbeing: a general overview”, South African Journal of Psychology, Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 391-406.

9. Dolan, P., Peasgood, T. and White, M (2008), “Do we really know what makes us happy? A review of the economic literature on the factors associated with subjective well-being”, Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 29, pp. 94–122.
10. Extremera, N and Fernandez-Berrocal, P (2006), “Validity and reliability of Spanish versions of the ruminative responses scale-short form and the distraction responses scale in a sample of Spanish high school and college students”, Psychological Reports, Vo. 98, No. 1, pp.141–150.
11. Frey, BS and Stutzer, A (2000, “Happiness, economy and institutions”, The Economic Journal, Vol. 110, pp.918–938.
12. Fujita, F., Diener, E and Sandvik, E (1991), “Gender differences in negative affect and well-being: The case for emotional intensity”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 61, No. 3, pp. 427-434.
13. Haller, M and Hadler, M (2006), “How social relations and structures can produce happiness and unhappiness: an international comparative analysis”, Social Indicators Research, Vol. 75, pp.169–216.
14. Hutchinson, G., Simeon, D., Bain, B., Wyatt, G., Tucker, M and Lefranc, E (2004), “Social and health determinants of well being and life satisfaction in Jamaica”, International Journal of Social Psychiatry, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 43- 53.
15. Kahneman, D ( 1999), “Objective happiness”, (in: D.Kahneman, E.Diener, & N.Schwarz – Eds., Well-being: The foundations of hedonic psychology), New York: Russell Sage Foundation, pp. 3– 25.
16. Knight, J., Songb, L. and Gunatilaka, R (2009), “Subjective wellbeing and its determinants in rural China”, China Economic Review,Vol. 20, pp. 635-649.
17. Lyubomirsky, S and Lepper, H (1999), “A measure of subjective happiness: preliminary reliability and construct validation”, Social Indicators Research 46: 137–155,
18. Mİller, V and Radloff, S (2010), “Monitoring Perceptions of Social Progress and Pride of Place in a South African Community”, Applied Research in Quality Life, Vol, 5, pp. 49-71.
19. Otake K., Shimai S., Tanaka-Matsumi J., Otsui K and Fredrickson BL (2006) “Happy people become happier through kindness: A counting kindness intervention”, Journal of Happiness Studies, Vol. 7, No. 3), pp. 361–375.
20. Patel, C.J, Ramgoon, S. and Paruk, Z (2009), “Exploring religion, race and gender as factors in the life satisfaction and religiosity of young South African adults”, South African Journal of Psychology, Vol. 39, No.3, pp. 266-274.
21. Pavot, W., Diener, E., Colvin and Sandvik, E (1991), “Further validation of the satisfaction with life scale: evidence for the cross-method convergence of well- being measures”, Journal of Personality Assessment, Vol. 57, No. 1, pp.149- 161.
22. Reynolds, J.R. & Ross, CE.(1998), “Social stratification and health: education’s benefit beyond economic status and social origins”, Social Problems, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 221-247.
23. Schoon, I., Hansson, L. and Salmela-Aro, K (2005) “Combining work and family life: life satisfaction among married and divorced men and women in Estonia, Finland and the UK”, European Psychologist, Vol. 10, pp. 309–319.
24. Sekhampu, TJ (2012), “Poverty in a South African township: the case of Kwakwatsi”, African Journal of Business Management, Vol.6 (33), pp. 9504- 9509.
25. Stats SA (Statistics South Africa) (2012). Income and Expenditure of households, http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0100/P01002011.pdf, [Accessed: 12.03. 2013].