Quality of Life & Happiness of People in Japan and the Netherlands

Quality of Life & Happiness of People in Japan and the Netherlands PDF

Author: Joop Stam

Publisher: Kit Pub

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9789068324358

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Quality of life is a permanent concern of all people, worldwide. Often quality of life is equated with material wealth, but affluence and abundance do not always engender happiness. This book compares the quality of life and happiness in Japan and The Netherlands, two advanced industrial nations with a different culture and institutional background--both of which rose from the ashes of war and both having created wealth and prosperity for their people. On average, Japan scores systematically lower on happiness than The Netherlands. This observation elicited the question: how can we explain the variance? Is it culture and the societal structure of family and friendship relations? Or is it the organization of work and style of management? Or is it the way power is handled in politics and society? In short, what has been the effect of the dominant economic, political and social model of post-war Japan and The Netherlands on the quality of life and happiness of their citizens? The papers in this book provide a broad spectrum of views and analyses on the quality of life in Japan and The Netherlands and justify the conclusion that happiness is not a trivial matter. Rather, it constitutes a powerful element in the mind of people and serves as a compass in life.

Quality of Life in Japan

Quality of Life in Japan PDF

Author: Ming-Chang Tsai

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2019-08-27

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 9811389101

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This edited volume approaches the life experiences and well-being of Japanese people from an empirical perspective. It explores the current trend of happiness among Japanese over time and examines the association of income, lifestyle, and perceived life conditions using modern econometric models with supplementary qualitative observations. Issues relating to ageing, gender, household division of labour, and emigration are also examined to provide a wide scope of results based on both survey and field methods for culturally sensitive researchers. Going beyond the conventional cultural interpretation of the uniqueness of the Japanese case, this book provides timely, empirical evidence for understanding how the various social groups comprising the Japanese population have enjoyed a better quality of life, while some groups are very dissatisfied with social arrangements and have elected to emigrate. The book is a pioneering endeavour to reveal the detailed structure of quality of life and well-being in Japanese society.

Life Course, Happiness and Well-being in Japan

Life Course, Happiness and Well-being in Japan PDF

Author: Barbara Holthus

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-04-21

Total Pages: 457

ISBN-13: 135196917X

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Much of the existing literature on happiness in Japan has been produced in the field of economics and psychology and is quantitative in nature. Here, for the first time, a group of anthropologists and sociologists jointly analyze the state of happiness and unhappiness in Japan among varying social groups in its physical, interpersonal, existential and structural dimensions, offering new insights into fundamental issues. This book investigates the connections between sociostructural aspects, individual agency and happiness in contemporary Japan from a life course perspective. The contributors examine quantitative and qualitative empirical data on the processes that impact how happiness and well-being are envisioned, crafted, and debated in Japan across the life-cycle. Therefore, the book discusses the shifting notions of happiness during people’s lives from birth to death, analyzing the age group-specific experiences while taking into consideration people’s life trajectories and historical changes. It points out recent developments in regards to demographic change, late marriage, and the changing labor market and focuses on their significant impact on the well-being of Japanese people. In particular it highlights the interdependencies of lives within the family and how families are collaborating for the purpose of maintaining or enhancing the happiness of its members. Broadening our understanding of the multidimensionality of happiness in Japan, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of Japanese Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology.

Encyclopedia of Happiness, Quality of Life and Subjective Wellbeing

Encyclopedia of Happiness, Quality of Life and Subjective Wellbeing PDF

Author: Hilke Brockmann

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2024-08-06

Total Pages: 495

ISBN-13: 1800889674

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This comprehensive Encyclopedia delves into the underpinnings, approaches, and recent advancements in the dynamic global landscape of happiness and wellbeing research. Laying out the foundational concepts and disciplinary perspectives in the field, international leading and diverse authors survey the determinants and mechanisms which are associated with happiness, quality of life and subjective wellbeing. This title contains one or more Open Access entries.

Ikigai

Ikigai PDF

Author: Héctor García

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2017-08-29

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 1524704555

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INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • 1.5 MILLION+ COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE “Workers looking for more fulfilling positions should start by identifying their ikigai.” ―Business Insider “One of the unintended—yet positive—consequences of the [pandemic] is that it is forcing people to reevaluate their jobs, careers, and lives. Use this time wisely, find your personal ikigai, and live your best life.” ―Forbes Find your ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy) to live longer and bring more meaning and joy to all your days. “Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.” —Japanese proverb According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai—a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese village with the world’s longest-living people, finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigai—where what you love, what you’re good at, what you can get paid for, and what the world needs all overlap—means that each day is infused with meaning. It’s the reason we get up in the morning. It’s also the reason many Japanese never really retire (in fact there’s no word in Japanese that means retire in the sense it does in English): They remain active and work at what they enjoy, because they’ve found a real purpose in life—the happiness of always being busy. In researching this book, the authors interviewed the residents of the Japanese village with the highest percentage of 100-year-olds—one of the world’s Blue Zones. Ikigai reveals the secrets to their longevity and happiness: how they eat, how they move, how they work, how they foster collaboration and community, and—their best-kept secret—how they find the ikigai that brings satisfaction to their lives. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own ikigai. Because who doesn’t want to find happiness in every day?

Happiness and the Good Life in Japan

Happiness and the Good Life in Japan PDF

Author: Wolfram Manzenreiter

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2017-03-27

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 1317352734

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Contemporary Japan is in a state of transition, caused by the forces of globalization that are derailing its ailing economy, stalemating the political establishment and generating alternative lifestyles and possibilities of the self. Amongst this nascent change, Japanese society is confronted with new challenges to answer the fundamental question of how to live a good life of meaning, purpose and value. This book, based on extensive fieldwork and original research, considers how specific groups of Japanese people view and strive for the pursuit of happiness. It examines the importance of relationships, family, identity, community and self-fulfilment, amongst other factors. The book demonstrates how the act of balancing social norms and agency is at the root of the growing diversity of experiencing happiness in Japan today.

A Sociology of Happiness

A Sociology of Happiness PDF

Author: Kenji Kōsaka

Publisher: ISBS

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 9781876843274

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Written by the sociologists at Kwansei Gakuin University who are engaged in 'Social Research for the Enhancement of Human Well-being', this study explores issues of happiness from a wide variety of sociological perspectives. It includes: a meta-analysis of suffering; an axiomatic approach to constructing an index for measuring social suffering from an utilitarian perspective; a proposal for a new qualitative methodology for social science research; a Nietzschean analysis of happiness; a proposal to codify linguistic rights drawing on notions of the universal right to pursue well-being; an analysis of the role of folklore in articulating a society's implicit understandings of happiness and suffering; a critical exploration of the impact of social surveillance on happiness; and a clinical sociological approach to happiness and unhappiness.

Ikigai

Ikigai PDF

Author: Shizuka Kobayashi

Publisher:

Published: 2020-11-17

Total Pages: 82

ISBN-13:

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The simple guide to add Focus, Meaning, and Joy to your everyday life More people than ever are drifting through life without purposeBut you do not have to be one of them! When you understand how you can connect with your true purpose and interweave real meaning with the strands of everyday life, you will unlock the secret to true joy in your life. The time-tested Japanese philosophy of Ikigai is the simple roadmap that changes everything. Let this award winning book be your guide to make meaningful change starting today.Here is a preview of what you will learn: What is Ikigai? The Pillars of IkigaiIkigai and Japanese CultureIkigai in Professional LifeIkigai and HealthIkigai and KodawariIkigai and FlowIkigai and SustainabilityIkigai and ResilienceIkigai and Work - Life BalanceConclusion: Achieving your own IkigaiAnd So Much More! Invest in yourself and commit to living your best life. Grab this guide now and make the rest of today a meaningful one!

Qualitative Studies in Quality of Life

Qualitative Studies in Quality of Life PDF

Author: Graciela Tonon

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-01-14

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 3319137794

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This volume explores the use and relevance of qualitative methods for the study of quality of life. It analyzes the role of qualitative researcher and the role of the context and the culture in quality of life studies. It presents the use of qualitative methods in real projects carried out in specific fields: geography, health, community studies, labor life and yoga. Finally, the book proposes the use of mixed methods that are considered as the third methodological approach in social research. The main purpose of using qualitative methods is to understand what it means for participants to be involved in certain events, situations and actions. Such methods help understand the context in which participants act and the influence of that context on their actions. The decision to use a particular methodology implies a philosophic, theoretical and political decision. Qualitative methodology constitutes an approach that is essential for understanding people’s experiences of well-being and discovering new issues related to quality of life.