Meaning of happiness: A qualitative inquiry among adolescents

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naina Kapoor ◽  
Shifa Rahman ◽  
Tejinder Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Theory Analysis ◽  
Academic World ◽  
Adolescent Students ◽  
Professional Goals ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
To Come

Research on happiness seems to be blooming in current academics. Psychology's engagement with psychopathology left no space for this concept to come to the fore. With rapid changes in the academic world, together with the shift in the focus towards more positive concepts has resulted in a renewed interest in the concept of happiness. The domain of qualitative research seeks to explore the diverse human experiences and the present study uses this domain to understand the subjective meaning of happiness in adolescent students. Using a qualitative approach, twenty adolescents were asked to share their life experiences using a semi structured interview schedule. A grounded theory analysis revealed that happiness forms a core concern for an individual where it depends not only on the cultural norm involving an individual where social relationships form an important part, but also goals and aims (s) he/she wishes to achieve in life. It exists in temporality but is impacted by the larger dimension of meaning in life which is relatively stable and covers a huge expanse of an individual's existence. Finding happiness in life involves both personal goals such as self growth and attainment of peace, and also professional goals like fulfilment of one's academic aim. Happiness is also seen as being impacted by an individual's past happenings, belief in selfworth and social responsibility. Analysis of the findings thus points to the fact that meaning of happiness varies across individuals, however, the essence remains the same for a given culture. The consideration of the emic approach not only creates sound knowledge, but also leads to a holistic understanding of human affairs.

Positive orientation: Exploring the factors that constitute the bright side of personality

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 1613-1618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malgorzata Sobol-Kwapinska
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
General Tendency ◽  
Positive Orientation ◽  
Psychological Variables ◽  
Bright Side

Positive orientation is a general tendency to react to life experiences in a positive way. My aim in this article was to characterize the nature of positive orientation in the context of similar psychological variables. The importance of taking into account the sense of meaning in life as an additional positive orientation variable has been highlighted, suggesting that the value in the concept of positive orientation lies in its focus on a general tendency to perceive life in a positive way. The choice of the factors that constitute positive orientation may raise objections, but it may also encourage reflection and discussion.

scholarly journals Science Teaching Excites Medical Interest: A Qualitative Inquiry of Science Education during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Xiaoshan Z. Gordy ◽  
Wesley Sparkmon ◽  
Hyllore Imeri ◽  
Andrew Notebaert ◽  
Marie Barnard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Science Teaching ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
School Science ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
High School Science ◽  
Technology In Teaching ◽  
Medical Interest

The national or local lockdowns in response to COVID-19 forced education systems to rapidly shift from in-person to distance learning. The hasty transition undoubtedly imposed tremendous challenges on teachers, students and distance learning infrastructure. The purpose of this study was to investigate how high school science teachers who had previously been trained in flipped-learning and advanced educational technology through the Science Teaching Excites Medical Interest (STEMI) program perceived their transition to distance learning during this pandemic. In this study eleven teachers were interviewed with a semi-structured interview guide. Data were analyzed using the deductive-inductive content analytic approach. Our results indicated that teachers reported having more confidence in using technology for teaching online due in part to their participation in the STEMI program. They also reported internet access as one of the most significant barriers, both for students and teachers. While some teachers thought that students may feel more in control of learning due to absence of time and place limits with distance learning, others may struggle to stay engaged without the classroom support they would normally have received. Teachers generally experienced increased workloads and harder work–life balance with online teaching. In spite of the unforeseen challenges, the pandemic situation afforded teachers with opportunities to adopt different technology in teaching and foresee the need for technology integration in order to better prepare for the unexpected in the future.

scholarly journals Patients’ perceptions of their general practitioner’s health and weight influences their perceptions of nutrition and exercise advice received

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Fraser ◽  
Michael Leveritt ◽  
Lauren Ball
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Status ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Advice

INTRODUCTION: General practitioners (GPs) play an important role in the management of patients who are overweight or obese. Previous research suggests that GPs’ physical characteristics may influence patients’ perceptions of health care received during consultations, mediating the likelihood of patients following health advice provided by GPs. This study aimed to explore patients’ perceptions of their GP’s health status and its influence on patients’ perceptions of healthy eating and exercise advice. METHODS: An interpretive approach to phenomenology underpinned the qualitative inquiry and study design. Twenty-one participants (aged 55.9 ± 6.5 years; 14 females, 7 males) who had previously received healthy eating and/or exercise advice from a GP participated in an individual semi-structured interview. A constant comparison approach to thematic analysis was conducted. FINDINGS: Participants identified three key indicators of perceived health of their GP. These included the GP’s physical appearance, particularly weight status; perceived absence of ill health; and disclosure of a GP’s health behaviours. Participants expressed favourable perceptions of the weight status of their GP. Participants expected their GP to be a healthy role model and often, but not always, felt more confident receiving advice from a GP that they perceived as healthy. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight that a GP’s perceived health status influences patients’ perceptions of the health advice received during consultations. These findings provide a foundation for future research that may allow GPs to modify patients’ perceptions of their health status in order to facilitate behaviour change in overweight or obese patients. KEYWORDS: Body weight; general practitioners; obesity; overweight; physicians; primary health care

The Role and Everyday Life Experiences of Latin American Female Researchers in Academia

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-169
Author(s):  
Pamela Zapata-Sepúlveda
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
The North ◽  
Academic Woman ◽  
Male Power ◽  
Natural Tendency ◽  
Auto Ethnography ◽  
Current Context

I wrote this essay a year before the current context of feminist student strike in Chile. A year ago, it was a time in which there was silence and fear. I understood the natural tendency of living with the different ways of gender violence that is normalized and taken for granted. In a society which is dominated by male power, and where we could find shelter in what the North defines as Resistance voices, this text arises from inquiries and contradictions that I, as a academic woman from northern Chile have lived, in socio-critical qualitative inquiry, paradigmatically moving from the analysis of qualitative data assisted by computers, to interpretive [auto]ethnography.

scholarly journals Family Life Experiences and the Abusive Consumption of Tramadol by Adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 01-07
Author(s):  
NDJE NDJE MIREILLE ◽  
LONGCHI Gladys NAHLELA
Keyword(s):  
Family Life ◽  
Sequential Analysis ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Emotional Needs ◽  
The Family ◽  
Interview Guide ◽  
Practical Information ◽  
Harmful Effects

There are increasing worries in many countries worldwide especially in Cameroon as concern the abusive consumption of tramadol and its addictive effects. Experiences within the family have a major influence on the wellbeing of its members, be it child, adolescent or adult. This is what spurred us to question other factors which have harmful effects on those abusing tramadol. This article aims to find how adolescents who have the necessary requirements for an adapted development seek satisfaction in abusive tramadol consumption. The objective was to understand the meaning adolescents who abusively consumes tramadol associate to their family life experiences and also bring out practical information on how adolescent’s emotional needs are met. We conducted a clinical study on three adolescents who abusively consume tramadol at the Psychiatric unit of Jamot Hospital Yaounde. Data was collected using semi- structured interview guide. Data collected was analyzed using thematic content and sequential analysis. The results were interpreted mainly based on the attachment theory which has shown that family life experiences are the association and negative interpretations of events experienced by these adolescents. These experiences have engendered a lacking state which the adolescents try to overcome by abusively consuming tramadol. Finding also indicated that family life experiences lead to the difficulties in managing negative counter-transference reactions which interferes with their ability to provide secured based. Perspectives for this research highlighted the lack of research exploring the rate of tramadol abusive consumption in the rural area and the end comparing their prevalence rates.

scholarly journals Cognitive Ergonomics of Assembly Work from a Job Demands–Resources Perspective: Three Qualitative Case Studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12282
Author(s):  
Matilda Wollter Wollter Bergman ◽  
Cecilia Berlin ◽  
Maral Babapour Babapour Chafi ◽  
Ann-Christine Falck ◽  
Roland Örtengren
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Assembly Work ◽  
Physical Loading ◽  
Holistic Understanding

In manufacturing companies, cognitive processing is required from assembly workers to perform correct and timely assembly of complex products, often with varied specifications and high quality demands. This paper explores assembly operators’ perceptions of cognitive/mental workload to provide a holistic understanding of the work conditions that affect cognitive demands and performance. While the physical loading aspects of assembly work are well known, most empirical literature dealing with cognitive/mental loading in manufacturing tends to examine a few particular aspects, rather than address the issue with a holistic system view. This semi-structured interview study, involving 50 industrial assembly operators from three Swedish companies, explores how assemblers perceive that their cognitive performance and well-being is influenced by a wide variety of factors within the context of mechanical product assembly. The interview transcripts were analysed using a priori coding, followed by bottom-up Thematic Analysis. The results indicate that a variety of systemic effects on assemblers’ cognitive performance can be classified as job demands or resources. Quite often, the absence of a resource mirrors a related demand, and “good assembly conditions”, as described by the interviewees, often re-frame demands as desirable challenges that foster motivation and positive feelings towards the work. The identified demands and resources stem from task design, timing, physical loading, intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, social teamwork and the product’s “interface” design. Despite organisational differences and conditions between the three companies that took part in the study, the results are largely consistent.

scholarly journals Awareness Level of Visually Impaired College Students about Urdu Poets and Poetry in Punjab: A Qualitative Inquiry

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 1151-1155
Author(s):  
Muhammad Jahanzaib ◽  
Samina Ashraf ◽  
Ghulam Fatima
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Visually Impaired Students ◽  
Public And Private Sector ◽  
Visually Impaired Persons ◽  
Awareness Level

Language has been the most popular source of communication in human society since the start of civilization. The tradition of Folk Tales appeared as the foundation of literature in ancient times. Poetry is a significant way of expression in human literature. Urdu language possesses uncountable master pieces of prose and poetry. Visually impaired persons have proved themselves as literature lovers, good readers and visionary poets in past and present. This study is an effort to depict the awareness level of visually impaired college students about Urdu poets and their creations. The population of the study consisted of all visually impaired students enrolled in public and private sector colleges located in the district Lahore and Okara. A self developed and validated structured interview schedule containing 10 open ended questions was used to collect data from conveniently selected sample of 30 visually impaired students (males= 18, females=12). Descriptive statistics (percentages of responses) were calculated, collected information was coded; major themes were derived and interpreted by qualitative data analysis technique. The Study reflected that the visually impaired college students were having a lot of information about Urdu poets and their creations although there seemed a lack of in depth knowledge. They reported the lack of talking books and material in Braille on Urdu poetry of great and famous poets. They suggested the establishment of talking libraries throughout the country. Major findings were reported, conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made to Punjab Higher Education Department. 

scholarly journals Tekst og billede i etnografisk formidling

1970 ◽  
pp. 69
Author(s):  
Mytte Fentz
Keyword(s):  
Field Work ◽  
Actual Situation ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
To Come ◽  
Photo Essay

Word and Picture in Ethnographic Interpretation In Moesgård museum, Denmark, there is an exhibition, Mountain People in Hindukush, based on field-work in the 1940s and 50s. In 1994 it was supplemented with a «photo-essay» describing the actual situation in the same community. The paper discusses the difficulties in all attempts to come close to another culture and in what way the different media of word and picture may contribute to a holistic understanding of life in a foreign society. The static exhibition with all the necessary selective operations must take into consideration both the «voices» in the culture described and the frames of understanding available to the visiting public. Oversimplifications are always a threat. 

Double Dearth Effect

2022 ◽  
pp. 95-112
Author(s):  
Judy Cañero Bautista ◽  
Al Ryanne Gabonada Gatcho
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Narrative Inquiry ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Working Definition ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Definition Of

This chapter presents a narrative inquiry on the life experiences of three Filipino families who belong to each representation of socioeconomic status. Furthermore, it unpacks the temporal, social, and geophysical or spatial elements of their narratives in relation to the disruptive effects of the coronavirus pandemic on their resources, access, and literacy practices. Subsequent to securing their consent, each family was subjected to an online recorded semi-structured interview where they shared their life experiences. The recorded responses were later transcribed and analyzed using Montero and Washington's lens in exploring narratives. The researchers ultimately provide collaborative narratives of the three families' experiences and theorize on the specific experiences of poor or low-income families against the experiences of the middle class and the rich or high-income families. The researchers end the chapter by offering a working definition of their concept called the double-dearth effect.

Strategies for improving performance in the Italian local government organizations

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Chiarini
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Iso 9001 ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Pros And Cons

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand what are the benefits in terms of improvement of performances that a local government organization (LGO) can achieve embracing ISO 9001 certification as a strategy. This research is aimed at contributing to the answering of this question by exploring the Italian situation, in particular organizations linked to Italian local government which provide services to the citizens. Design/methodology/approach – This research is based on mixed methodologies. First, a qualitative interview based on a semi-structured interview guide was administered to ten LGO quality managers. From this first qualitative inquiry 11 hypotheses to be validated have been stated. A survey has been carried out to validate the hypotheses. By means of two distinct questionnaires each hypothesis has been transformed into a specific question. The question is based on the Likert scale which allows using a χ2-test and non-parametric test such as Cramer’s V. The results from the scale were augmented by the interviewees’ annotations, which comprised suggestions and comments, to each question. The questionnaires have been administered over the last five years to 201 LGOs. Findings – From the findings it seems that ISO 9001 could improve performances in terms of effectiveness, such as citizens’ satisfaction, reduction of defectiveness and claims, as well as staff awareness of citizens’ needs. Moreover, ISO 9001 seems to have a negative effect on citizens’ participation, internal communication and teamwork as well as cost reduction. Controversial issues related to the bureaucracy of documentation and the external auditing process emerged. Research limitations/implications – The findings are linked to Italian LGOs therefore they need further validation in other European countries where LGOs are managed in a similar way. Practical implications – The implications of this research are useful for consultants and managers who want to understand what the benefits and limitations of the ISO 9001 certification are in the LGOs. The results are also useful for local government managers and practitioners who are weighing the pros and cons of ISO 9001 certification. Originality/value – The paper discusses in a quantitative way the benefits of ISO 9001 certification process on the performances of LGOs opening an interesting debate on the topic.

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