scholarly journals The Gateway to Well-being and Happiness: Re-defining Individualism, Voluntary Simplicity and Civilization

2021 ◽  
pp. 59-74
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Economics ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Voluntary Simplicity ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Policy Regimes ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Collective Levels

This article is an attempt to depict principles and philosophical lines so as to promote the well-being and happiness of people and communities. The principles of theoretical research govern the methods and tools of making analysis and inferences. In this regard, theories from positive psychology, behavioral & institutional economics, sociology, and anthropology were consulted. The study starts by reviewing the theoretical and empirical literature on the two interrelated concepts, well-being and happiness. Doing so, it looks into a systematic analysis into what factors are weighing in determining well-being and happiness at individual and collective levels. In this regard, it identifies individualism, voluntary simplicity, and civilization concepts as key variables. With the benchmark being the conventional narratives, the study tries to characterize those concepts in a way that better appeals to pillars of well-being and happiness concepts. While making characterizations on individualism, voluntary simplicity, and civilization, the study infers the drawbacks of the underlying constructs of the conventional understandings and comes up with alternative ones in a way that better serves the affective and eudemonic well-being of people. In this regard, it came up with concepts of individualism-proper, a theoretical contribution of this work in redefining the concept of individualism in a better way to promote collective well-being and happiness. It also revisits the notion of voluntary simplicity in a way to appeal business of life and at all levels, from individual to societal to country level. As such, the paper tries to frame the foundation of collective happiness and well-being by pinpointing philosophical lines, depicting moral standards and/or principles that people shall pursue in their intra-personal and inter-personal relationships. The study further evokes the academia and policy regimes to consider why and how well-being and happiness issues should be the pinpoint of their respective endeavors.

Minimalism, voluntary simplicity, and well-being: A systematic review of the empirical literature

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Joshua N. Hook ◽  
Adam S. Hodge ◽  
Hansong Zhang ◽  
Daryl R. Van Tongeren ◽  
Don E. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Voluntary Simplicity

scholarly journals Herbal Remedies and Their Possible Effect on the GABAergic System and Sleep

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 530
Author(s):  
Oliviero Bruni ◽  
Luigi Ferini-Strambi ◽  
Elena Giacomoni ◽  
Paolo Pellegrino
Keyword(s):  
Gaba Receptors ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Herbal Remedies ◽  
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Inhibitory Neurotransmitter ◽  
Alternative Medicines ◽  
Molecular Components ◽  
The Brain

Sleep is an essential component of physical and emotional well-being, and lack, or disruption, of sleep due to insomnia is a highly prevalent problem. The interest in complementary and alternative medicines for treating or preventing insomnia has increased recently. Centuries-old herbal treatments, popular for their safety and effectiveness, include valerian, passionflower, lemon balm, lavender, and Californian poppy. These herbal medicines have been shown to reduce sleep latency and increase subjective and objective measures of sleep quality. Research into their molecular components revealed that their sedative and sleep-promoting properties rely on interactions with various neurotransmitter systems in the brain. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that plays a major role in controlling different vigilance states. GABA receptors are the targets of many pharmacological treatments for insomnia, such as benzodiazepines. Here, we perform a systematic analysis of studies assessing the mechanisms of action of various herbal medicines on different subtypes of GABA receptors in the context of sleep control. Currently available evidence suggests that herbal extracts may exert some of their hypnotic and anxiolytic activity through interacting with GABA receptors and modulating GABAergic signaling in the brain, but their mechanism of action in the treatment of insomnia is not completely understood.

scholarly journals Depression and loneliness of older adults in Europe and Israel after the first wave of covid-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josefine Atzendorf ◽  
Stefan Gruber
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Epidemic Control ◽  
Government Response ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Interaction Terms ◽  
Share Data ◽  
Using Data

AbstractEpidemic control measures that aim to introduce social distancing help to decelerate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, their consequences in terms of mental well-being might be negative, especially for older adults. While existing studies mainly focus on the time during the first lockdown, we look at the weeks afterward in order to measure the medium-term consequences of the first wave of the pandemic. Using data from the SHARE Corona Survey, we include retired respondents aged 60 and above from 25 European countries plus Israel. Combining SHARE data with macro-data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker allows us to include macro-indicators at the country level, namely the number of deaths per 100,000 and the number of days with stringent epidemic control measures, in addition to individual characteristics. The findings show that both macro-indicators are influential for increased feelings of sadness/depression, but that individual factors are crucial for explaining increased feelings of loneliness in the time after the first lockdown. Models with interaction terms reveal that the included macro-indicators have negative well-being consequences, particularly for the oldest survey participants. Additionally, the results reveal that especially those living alone had a higher risk for increased loneliness in the time after the first COVID-19 wave.

scholarly journals Country-level structural stigma, identity concealment, and day-to-day discrimination as determinants of transgender people’s life satisfaction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Bränström ◽  
John E. Pachankis
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Transgender People ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Identity Concealment ◽  
Population Attitudes ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Lower Life Satisfaction ◽  
Negative Population

Abstract Purpose Discriminatory laws, policies, and population attitudes, surrounding transgender people vary greatly across countries, from equal protection under the law and full acceptance to lack of legal recognition and open bias. The consequences of this substantial between-country variation on transgender people’s health and well-being is poorly understood. We therefore examined the association between structural stigma and transgender people’s life satisfaction across 28 countries. Methods Data from transgender participants (n = 6771) in the 2012 EU-LGBT-survey regarding identity concealment, day-to-day discrimination, and life satisfaction were assessed. Structural stigma was measured using publicly available data regarding each country’s discriminatory laws, policies, and population attitudes towards transgender people. Results Multilevel models showed that country-level structural stigma was associated with lower life satisfaction, an association largely explained by higher levels of identity concealment in higher-structural-stigma countries. Yet identity concealment was also associated with lower day-to-day discrimination and therefore protected against even lower life satisfaction. Conclusion The results emphasize the importance of changing discriminatory legislation and negative population attitudes to improve transgender people’s life satisfaction, and also highlight targets for intervention at interpersonal and individual levels.

scholarly journals Young People as Drivers or Inhibitors of the Sustainability Movement: The Case of Anti-Consumption

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Ziesemer ◽  
A. Hüttel ◽  
I. Balderjahn
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Voluntary Simplicity ◽  
Collaborative Consumption ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Behavioural Patterns ◽  
Future Consumption ◽  
Sustainability Movement ◽  
Laddering Interviews

AbstractAs overconsumption has negative effects on ecological balance, social equality, and individual well-being, reducing consumption levels among the materially affluent is an emerging strategy for sustainable development. Today’s youth form a crucial target group for intervening in unsustainable overconsumption habits and for setting the path and ideas on responsible living. This article explores young people’s motivations for engaging in three behavioural patterns linked to anti-consumption (voluntary simplicity, collaborative consumption, and living within one’s means) in relation to sustainability. Applying a qualitative approach, laddering interviews reveal the consequences and values behind the anti-consumption behaviours of young people of ages 14 to 24 according to a means-end chains analysis. The findings highlight potential for and the challenges involved in motivating young people to reduce material levels of consumption for the sake of sustainability. Related consumer policy tools from the fields of education and communication are identified. This article provides practical implications for policy makers, activists, and educators. Consumer policies may strengthen anti-consumption among young people by addressing individual benefits, enabling reflection on personal values, and referencing credible narratives. The presented insights can help give a voice to young consumers, who struggle to establish themselves as key players in shaping the future consumption regime.

Empowerment e intensificazione? Gli effetti dei nuovi sistemi di lavoro sui lavoratori1

2012 ◽  
pp. 45-75
Author(s):  
Torre Edoardo Della
Keyword(s):  
Economic Performance ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
New Work ◽  
Work Systems ◽  
High Performance Work Systems ◽  
Sceptical View

The debate about the effects of new work systems - the so-called High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) - in terms of improving economic performance and productivity of the enterprise is rich in contributions and a substantial convergence is recorded in saying that, in the presence of a well thought-out and properly implemented system, the effects are positive. More neglected and controversial are the effects that these practices have for the well-being of workers. Through a review of theoretical and empirical literature on the topic, this paper analyses the traditional opposition between supporters of the "empowerment view" and supporters of the "intensification view". The former consider the HPWS such as win-win solutions for enterprises and workers, while the latter believe that the HPWS are a managerial expedient that aims to intensify the pace of work and the efforts required to workers. The results show that both positions are sustainable and attach to internal tensions related to HPWS (i.e. control/ discretion, responsibility/stress, etc.) the uncertainty of the results found from the literature. This interpretation finds in the intermediate "sceptical view" the more careful position to adopt and suggests to pay greater attention to the measurement adopted to analyze these relationships and to the characteristics of the employees and of the context in which HPWS are introduced. Finally, some directions for the development of future researches in this area are drawn.

A Systematic Analysis of Mobile Phone Use by Smallholder Farmers in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 107 ◽  
pp. 151-158
Author(s):  
Chioma Anadozie ◽  
Mathias Fonkam
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Dynamics Modeling ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Mobile Phone Use ◽  
Mobile Phone Technology ◽  
System Variables

This study aims at systematically analyzing the influence of the factors that determine mobile phone use on the farming ecosystem. A systematic literature review was used to extract the determinants of mobile phone use and the farming activities that mobile phones are used for. The focus was on Nigeria’s rural context. The extracted data were used as system variables to develop a qualitative system dynamics model. The use of system dynamics modeling provided a means of accounting for the complex interactions and relationships between system variables. This also offered a unique dimension in understanding the influence of mobile phone technology on agricultural growth and development. The major feedback loops in the model indicated reinforcing loops in virtuous circles. These show that the use of mobile phone technology has a positive influence on farm productivity and the over-all well-being of farmers. The study concludes with implications for policies geared towards mobile phone use in farming.

scholarly journals Features and trends of offenses in economic activity

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-316
Author(s):  
Olena Parshyna ◽  
Yuriy Parshyn
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring System ◽  
National Economy ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
The Government ◽  
Complex Monitoring ◽  
Economic Crimes

Offenses have a negative impact on the socio-economic development of the country and make a threat to the security of the national economy. Systematic analysis of the offenses in the sphere of economic activity with the quantitative as-sessment of their reimbursement and identification of the main trends during the research has been carried out. The offenses in the field of economic activity are the object of the research. The research subjects are scientific, methodological and applied aspects of the offenses analysis in relation to the main types of economic activity in the national economy. It has been noted that the criminal situation in our country is characterized by increasing in the economic crimes. Economic crimes are becoming systematic and have organized character. The high level of correlation between the unemployment situation and the negative crimes trends has been discovered. Economic crimes include economic, political, legal, socio-psychological and organizational reasons and conditions. The complex monitoring system in order to solve problem of the combating economic crimes has been proposed. The effectiveness of such system can be achieved in two main ways. The first way concerns the development of measures that is aimed at the economic crimes preventing. Thus, we have the reduction of the crimes number. The second way involves the development of measures for the disclosure of the committed offenses of economic nature and the achievement of full reimbursement for the incurred losses. However, an important component of the complex system should be the ability to monitor, forecast and identify these sectors of the economy in which the possible offenses in the strategic foresight should be expected. The continuous monitoring with forecasting enables to develop and implement the appropriate preventive measures. Studies of the economic activities with their efficiency in the formation of GDP of Ukraine have been conducted. Dynamics of the committed offenses on the types of economic activity has been analyzed. The quantitative assessment of the material losses reimbursement of these offenses has been provided. The main causes of the committed offenses in the economic sectors have been considered. The national measures for the prevent economic crimes are: strengthening of the role and increasing of the trust to the government and its institutions; paradigm shift of the decision-making mechanism in the field of credit and financial system; development of the special mechanisms for preventing of the destabilizing tendencies both at the level of regional development and at the level of national economy. The complex monitoring system allows to identify sectors of the national economy in the aspect of strategic forecasting. Monitoring enables to develop the preventative measures which are aimed at the improving of the environment, creating of the preconditions for the economic growth and improving of the well-being of population.

scholarly journals Trust predicts COVID-19 prescribed and discretionary behavioral intentions in 23 countries

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248334
Author(s):  
Stefano Pagliaro ◽  
Simona Sacchi ◽  
Maria Giuseppina Pacilli ◽  
Marco Brambilla ◽  
Francesca Lionetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Intentions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Moral Principles ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Psychological Differences ◽  
Discretionary Behaviors ◽  
Health Experts ◽  
Do So

The worldwide spread of a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) since December 2019 has posed a severe threat to individuals’ well-being. While the world at large is waiting that the released vaccines immunize most citizens, public health experts suggest that, in the meantime, it is only through behavior change that the spread of COVID-19 can be controlled. Importantly, the required behaviors are aimed not only at safeguarding one’s own health. Instead, individuals are asked to adapt their behaviors to protect the community at large. This raises the question of which social concerns and moral principles make people willing to do so. We considered in 23 countries (N = 6948) individuals’ willingness to engage in prescribed and discretionary behaviors, as well as country-level and individual-level factors that might drive such behavioral intentions. Results from multilevel multiple regressions, with country as the nesting variable, showed that publicized number of infections were not significantly related to individual intentions to comply with the prescribed measures and intentions to engage in discretionary prosocial behaviors. Instead, psychological differences in terms of trust in government, citizens, and in particular toward science predicted individuals’ behavioral intentions across countries. The more people endorsed moral principles of fairness and care (vs. loyalty and authority), the more they were inclined to report trust in science, which, in turn, statistically predicted prescribed and discretionary behavioral intentions. Results have implications for the type of intervention and public communication strategies that should be most effective to induce the behavioral changes that are needed to control the COVID-19 outbreak.

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.

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