IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v143y2022ics019074092200295x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring the meaning of happiness of middle childhood children

Author

Listed:
  • Ayriza, Yulia
  • Izzaty, Rita Eka
  • Romadhani, Rahmatika Kurnia
  • Oktaviani, Fitriana
  • Wicaksono, Banyu

Abstract

Recognizing the importance of childhood happiness as a quality-of-life indicator, as well as the scarcity of studies that have been carried out concerning the happiness of children in Indonesian context, this study aims to explore the meaning, situations, and people who generate a feeling of happiness for children in Indonesian context. This research took an inductive, exploratory approach involving 46 middle childhood children as respondents (50% boys, 50% girls, Mage = 7,76). Data were collected through interviews and analyzed using a thematic analysis framework. Findings of this research revealed several themes emerge as meaning as well as sources of happiness: 1) Positive affect; 2) doing enjoyable activities; 3) receiving something; 4) achieving something; 5) relating with others; 6) having a positive physical condition; 7) performing religious activities; and 8) special days or events. Furthermore, both family and non-family members contribute a share in children’s happiness. The results confirm the findings of previous studies conducted in the context of younger children and studies in Western and Asian countries. Additional findings and suggestions for further research are discussed further in a more comprehensive manner.

Suggested Citation

  • Ayriza, Yulia & Izzaty, Rita Eka & Romadhani, Rahmatika Kurnia & Oktaviani, Fitriana & Wicaksono, Banyu, 2022. "Exploring the meaning of happiness of middle childhood children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:143:y:2022:i:c:s019074092200295x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106659
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019074092200295X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106659?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Aubrey McKennell & Frank Andrews, 1980. "Models of cognition and affect in perceptions of well-being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 257-298, September.
    2. Keiko Otake & Kenji Kato, 2017. "Subjective Happiness and Emotional Responsiveness to Food Stimuli," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 691-708, June.
    3. Nansook Park & Christopher Peterson, 2006. "Character Strengths and Happiness among Young Children: Content Analysis of Parental Descriptions," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 323-341, September.
    4. Ben-Arieh, Asher & Shimon, Edna, 2014. "Subjective well-being and perceptions of safety among Jewish and Arab children in Israel," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 100-107.
    5. Kitae Sohn, 2013. "Sources Of Happiness In Indonesia," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 58(02), pages 1-27.
    6. Yukiko Uchida & Vinai Norasakkunkit & Shinobu Kitayama, 2004. "Cultural constructions of happiness: theory and emprical evidence," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 223-239, September.
    7. Luo Lu & Robin Gilmour, 2004. "Culture and conceptions of happiness: individual oriented and social oriented swb," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 269-291, September.
    8. Mark Holder & Ben Coleman, 2009. "The Contribution of Social Relationships to Children’s Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 329-349, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Erik Carlquist & Pål Ulleberg & Antonella Delle Fave & Hilde E. Nafstad & Rolv M. Blakar, 2017. "Everyday Understandings of Happiness, Good Life, and Satisfaction: Three Different Facets of Well-being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(2), pages 481-505, June.
    2. Jan Eichhorn, 2013. "Unemployment Needs Context: How Societal Differences between Countries Moderate the Loss in Life-Satisfaction for the Unemployed," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(6), pages 1657-1680, December.
    3. Jan Eichhorn, 2014. "The (Non-) Effect of Unemployment Benefits: Variations in the Effect of Unemployment on Life-Satisfaction Between EU Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 389-404, October.
    4. Igor Sotgiu & Licia Tirloni & Julissa Thomas Zapata, 2021. "Cultural Similarities and Variations in the Conceptions of Happiness and Unhappiness: A Comparison Between Italy and Honduras," Psychology and Developing Societies, , vol. 33(2), pages 232-257, September.
    5. Hock-Eam Lim & Daigee Shaw & Pei-Shan Liao & Hongbo Duan, 2020. "The Effects of Income on Happiness in East and South Asia: Societal Values Matter?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 391-415, February.
    6. Miriam Sang-Ah Park & Mohsen Joshanloo, 2021. "Satisfaction with Life Declines with Age in Malaysia: an Exploratory Analysis of Factors Influencing Subjective Well-Being in a Developing/Middle-Income Country," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(2), pages 471-486, April.
    7. Mohsen Joshanloo & Dan Weijers, 2014. "Aversion to Happiness Across Cultures: A Review of Where and Why People are Averse to Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 717-735, June.
    8. Aaron Adibe Agbo & Blessing Ome, 2017. "Happiness: Meaning and Determinants Among Young Adults of the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 151-175, February.
    9. Lotta Uusitalo-Malmivaara, 2012. "Global and School-Related Happiness in Finnish Children," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 601-619, August.
    10. Hitomi Aoyama & Satoshi Horiuchi, 2023. "Comparison of Interdependent and Subjective Happiness between Japanese and Thai College Students: A Research Note," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-7, October.
    11. Louise Lambert D'raven & Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi, 2015. "Happiness in the United Arab Emirates: conceptualisations of happiness among Emirati and other Arab students," International Journal of Happiness and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 2(1), pages 1-21.
    12. Lotta Uusitalo-Malmivaara & Juhani Lehto, 2013. "Social Factors Explaining Children’s Subjective Happiness and Depressive Symptoms," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 111(2), pages 603-615, April.
    13. Ethan McMahan & Seungah Ryu & Incheol Choi, 2014. "Lay Conceptions of Well-Being Among Undergraduate Students from the United States and South Korea: Culture-Level Differences and Correlates," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 321-339, October.
    14. Silvia Exenberger & Raphaela Banzer & Jayakumar Christy & Stefan Höfer & Barbara Juen, 2019. "Eastern and Western Children’s Voices on their Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(3), pages 747-768, June.
    15. R. M. Tomlinson & L. Keyfitz & J. S. Rawana & M. N. Lumley, 2017. "Unique Contributions of Positive Schemas for Understanding Child and Adolescent Life Satisfaction and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(5), pages 1255-1274, October.
    16. Dezhu Ye & Yew-Kwang Ng & Yujun Lian, 2015. "Culture and Happiness," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 123(2), pages 519-547, September.
    17. Hiromi Taniguchi & Deborah A. Potter, 2016. "Who are your Neighbors? Neighbor Relationships and Subjective Well-Being in Japan," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 11(4), pages 1425-1443, December.
    18. L. Lambert D’raven & N. Pasha-Zaidi, 2016. "Using the PERMA Model in the United Arab Emirates," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 125(3), pages 905-933, February.
    19. Mohsen Joshanloo & Dan Weijers, 2014. "Aversion to Happiness Across Cultures: A Review of Where and Why People are Averse to Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 717-735, June.
    20. Hiromi Taniguchi & Gayle Kaufman, 2019. "Self-Construal, Social Support, and Loneliness in Japan," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(4), pages 941-960, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:143:y:2022:i:c:s019074092200295x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.