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Happy just because. A cross-cultural study on subjective wellbeing in three Indigenous societies

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Listed:
  • Victoria Reyes-García
  • Sandrine Gallois
  • Aili Pyhälä
  • Isabel Díaz-Reviriego
  • Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares
  • Eric Galbraith
  • Sara Miñarro
  • Lucentezza Napitupulu

Abstract

While cross-cultural research on subjective well-being and its multiple drivers is growing, the study of happiness among Indigenous peoples continues to be under-represented in the literature. In this work, we measure life satisfaction through open-ended questionnaires to explore levels and drivers of subjective well-being among 474 adults in three Indigenous societies across the tropics: the Tsimane’ in Bolivian lowland Amazonia, the Baka in southeastern Cameroon, and the Punan in Indonesian Borneo. We found that life satisfaction levels in the three studied societies are slightly above neutral, suggesting that most people in the sample consider themselves as moderately happy. We also found that respondents provided explanations mostly when their satisfaction with life was negative, as if moderate happiness was the normal state and explanations were only needed when reporting a different life satisfaction level due to some exceptionally good or bad occurrence. Finally, we also found that issues related to health and–to a lesser extent–social life were the more prominent explanations for life satisfaction. Our research not only highlights the importance to understand, appreciate and respect Indigenous peoples’ own perspectives and insights on subjective well-being, but also suggests that the greatest gains in subjective well-being might be achieved by alleviating the factors that tend to make people unhappy.

Suggested Citation

  • Victoria Reyes-García & Sandrine Gallois & Aili Pyhälä & Isabel Díaz-Reviriego & Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares & Eric Galbraith & Sara Miñarro & Lucentezza Napitupulu, 2021. "Happy just because. A cross-cultural study on subjective wellbeing in three Indigenous societies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(5), pages 1-16, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0251551
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251551
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. 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.
    2. 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.
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    Cited by:

    1. Plomteux, Adrien, 2024. "Frugal abundance: Conceptualisation for degrowth," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    2. Gallois, Sandrine & Ambassa, Appolinaire & Ramírez Rozzi, Fernando, 2024. "Indigenous peoples’ health: Culturally grounded evidence from the Baka, Southeastern Cameroon," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 350(C).
    3. Godoy, Ricardo & Bauchet, Jonathan & Behrman, Jere R. & Huanca, Tomás & Leonard, William R. & Reyes-García, Victoria & Rosinger, Asher & Tanner, Susan & Undurraga, Eduardo A. & Zycherman, Ariela, 2024. "Changes in adult well-being and economic inequalities: An exploratory observational longitudinal study (2002–2010) of micro-level trends among Tsimane’, a small-scale rural society of Indigenous Peopl," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    4. Veljko Jovanović & Maksim Rudnev & Gökmen Arslan & Carmen Buzea & Radosveta Dimitrova & Vanesa Góngora & Tharina Guse & Rainbow T. H. Ho & Naved Iqbal & Szilvia Jámbori & Fang-Hua Jhang & Goda Kaniušo, 2022. "The Satisfaction with Life Scale in Adolescent Samples: Measurement Invariance across 24 Countries and Regions, Age, and Gender," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(4), pages 2139-2161, August.

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