Social standards are one of the most predominant influence on the happiness of people that varies from one culture to another. Different societies and cultural settings have varied standards of living and perceive happiness from unique perspectives. Standards of good life is perceived different since it is something relative from one society to another. From one culture to another, the standard of what material achievements and level constitute fulfillment of the desired standards of living vary (Veenhoven, 2010). The American business circles, for instance, requires more material comfort to regard themselves as happy and fulfilled as opposed to the Tibetan societies (Oishi, 2018). Fulfilled aspirations are also linked to improved social standards of people that make them able to live the lives they desired thus regarding themselves as happy people. Standards of fulfilled aspirations also vary from one cultural setting to another owing to unique ways of life that are linked to the modernization of one society as opposed to the other.
In many societies and cultures in the contemporary world, happiness is more linked to freedom. Human beings naturally value their freedom and subsequently feel more satisfied and fulfilled when they live in an environment that they exercise their freedom. The level of happiness in cultures that exercise freedom for women is more profound than in cultures that have discriminatory practices that limit the freedom of people (Veenhoven, 2010). Freedom not only applies to practices but also in marriages. In cultures that have given equal freedom for marriage, partners are seemingly happier than others. In African cultures, women are less free than men as compared to European cultures that have relatively equal rights for men and women (Suh & Koo, 2008). In that regard, European societies are considered happier than African societies.
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References
Oishi, S. (2018). Culture and subjective well-being: Conceptual and measurement issues. In E. Diener, S. Oishi, & L. Tay (Eds.), Handbook of well-being. Salt Lake City, UT: DEF Publishers. DOI: nobascholar.com
Suh, E. M., & Koo, J. (2008). Comparing subjective well-being across cultures and nations. The science of subjective well-being , 414-427.
Veenhoven, R. (2010). How universal is happiness. International differences in well-being , 328-350.