The well-being of people as the object of sociological research: felicitological approach
Journal Title: Вісник Національного юридичного університету імені Ярослава Мудрого. Серія: філософія, філософія права, політологія, соціологія - Year 2016, Vol 3, Issue 30
Abstract
The article deals with analysis of the methodological and empirical foundations of sociological studies of well-being within the felicitological approach. At the present stage of the development of social sciences and humanities there is an active process of institutionalization of a new direction of research – felicitology as the science of happiness (of lat. «felicitas» – happiness). This process reflects the reaction of the scientific community to the modern needs of society to create the conditions for successful and happy life for all people, practical and maximum humanization of all spheres of society. Social well-being is a complicated phenomenon of social and cultural development and complex theoretical and conceptual construct that reflects the complexity of social life and social development, and the complexity of its research and analysis. This necessitates complex integrative, interdisciplinary approaches to the study of well-being issues. Felicitological approach provides new possibilities for improving the methodology of the wellbeing researches. Social changes of the last century as the era of industrialization, urbanization, mechanization, automation, computerization and mediatization of society ensure significant progress towards economic and cultural development, contributed to raising the level and quality of life of many people. However, there are many unresolved problems of social development related to inequalities in various spheres of life, poverty, political, religious and ethnic conflicts, peace and security as well as health, education, environment. At the same time appear new problems, risks and contradictions related to the new forms of inequality, global gaps, military and environmental security, migration and others. All these issues demonstrate imperfection of the existing models of social life and low social efficiency of management at the national and global levels. In this aspect the achieving of well-being of all people in all societies is a very complex and long-term task facing the responsible elite groups, experts and civil society, economic, political and cultural institutions, national and global governance. The measurement of well-being and happiness has significant indicative potential for evaluation and comparison of achievements of countries on social development and general well-being. International studies of happiness complement knowledge about scale, manifestations and factors of global gaps in economic, social, political and cultural development of countries and continents. Thus, the current measurement of well-being using indexes of happiness on the national and global levels expands opportunities for improving the methodology of the study of conditions and factors of successful or troubled life of people in certain countries, what makes it possible to do a cross-cultural analysis. Such studies involve the integration of qualitative and quantitative, statistical and sociological, objective and subjective indicators, which increases the scientific value of the results. The United Nations supported felicitological approach in the study of quality of life and well-being under the Happy Planet Index. The study of the ranking of countries by Happy Planet Index was supported by leading international experts and international research centers. This ranking was made in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and covered most of the world (156 countries).The study used statistical and sociological indicators. The leaders of the international rating of happiness became Denmark and the Scandinavian countries. Ukraine ranked 123 place, holding the status of unhappy country. Sociological analysis of Ukrainian society points to the need for radical improvement of economic indicators of life, increasing of political efficiency and social welfare, improvement of health care system and socio-psychological atmosphere, overcoming of social tension. The UN emphasizes the need to support the felicitological concept of a sustainable development policy and in 2012 hold a meeting in the framework of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly with the participation of the majority of the world on the topic «Happiness and well-being: defining a new economic paradigm». The basic idea, proposed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, was the need to ensure a happy life for all people on the planet through effective social, economic and environmental policies. At the initiative of the UN the International Day of Happiness is celebrated on 20 March since 2013.
Authors and Affiliations
О. М Кириленко
Keywords
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- EP ID EP183956
- DOI 10.21564/2075-7190.30.90225
- Views 107
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