SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT UDC 316.658 LBC 60.5 (2Rus-4Vol) © Shabunova A.A., Morev M.V. Vologda residents’ notions of happiness The article evaluates the level of happiness in the Vologda Oblast in comparison with the Russian Federation and the countries of the world. It studies the influence of internal sensation of happiness on the perception of socio-political processes and demographic situation. Furthermore, the article analyzes some of the factors affecting the level of happiness (financial situation, professional activities, interpersonal relations, socio-demographic characteristics). Happiness index, social characteristics of population, quality of life. Aleksandra A. SHABUNOVA Doctor of Economics, Head of ISEDT RAS Department [email protected] Mikhail V. MOREV Ph.D. in Economics, ISEDT RAS Scientific Associate [email protected] For a long time scientists are trying to supposed that the number of suicides per capita explain what happiness is and how happy could be used as the level of society’s unhap- people feel. Pitirim Sorokin marked that piness. Durkheim’s idea was simple: if a person progress achievements are valuable only when decided to commit a suicide, so he was deeply they increase the feeling of happiness among unhappy. However, further investigations of popular majority. The weight of any terminal psychologists and sociologists proved that not values (love for one’s neighbors, solidarity, all people are predisposed to suicides, therefore knowledge, etc.) is decreasing if they are not using that figure for evaluation of happiness accompanied by parallel development of level in society was not quite correct. Although, happiness [1, p. 15]. certain dependence between the suicide level From the history of happiness phenomenon and happiness level of course exists. studies Macroeconomic indicators (such as GDP) The first attempts to measure that pheno- do not always reveal the country’s real state of menon were offered by Emile Durkheim. He development. In particular, high income level Economic and social changes: facts, trends, forecast 1 (25) 2013 119 Vologda residents’ notions of happiness does not always guarantees life satisfaction. Puerto Rico, and Columbia. Russia moved to Growth of wealth during decades is not 88th place in the list. Zimbabwe took the last one. accompanied by features of the increasing In 2006 another international fund – New happiness [2]. This problem is a matter of Economist Foundation (NEF) – introduced fierce debates in the UK, France, Canada, metrics “Happy Planet Index” that revealed Northern Ireland and many other developed people’s welfare and environmental condition in nations. Methods of measuring happiness and different countries. The index shows efficiency its factors, opportunities of monitoring on with which the countries worldwide “convert” the international level are being discussed by natural resources into the lasting and happy life specialists [2]. of their citizens. While estimating the happi- Investigations of relationship between the ness index, three figures are taken into account: economic growth, measured by GDP, and the human impact on nature (ecological footprint), personal happiness level show that happiness is life expectancy and life satisfaction. The more increasing with GDP, while GDP is growing is the index, the less is the amount of resources till certain level. Beyond that level, GDP spent by the country on the provision of happy growth does not lead to human happiness rise life of their citizens (life expectancy + life sat- any more. For instance, Japan, where fivefold isfaction). The index calculated this way does increase of GDP during the 20th century did not not show “happiness” of citizens of a certain lead to human happiness rise [3]. The similar country, but natural resources efficiency for a situation is observed in the U.S.: during last person to feel happy. For instance, a huge amount 30 years income per capita including inflation of resources is necessary for American citizens increased twofold, however, the share of those to be satisfied with their lives; consequently, this who consider themselves happy reduced by 14 developed country has a low Happy Planet Index. million people, divorce rate increased twofold, The highest Happy Planet Index has Costa Rica the number of suicides among adolescents – (76.12), the lowest – Zimbabwe (16.59), Russia threefold, grave offense level – fourfold, prison with its index 34.47 takes 108th place1. population – fivefold. The same situation takes Mass public surveys became the simplest place in other countries, which can be named and most efficient way to investigate happiness. as carriers of European civilization (France, Most of the data is gathered in different coun- Norway, Australia, the UK, and Canada) [4]. tries worldwide on the most typical classical In 1972 the king of Bhutan Jigme Singye question: “How happy are you?” – with four Wangchuck offered the notion of gross national variants of responses: “very happy”, “happy happiness (GNH) as the official state rather than unhappy”, “unhappy rather than philosophy. happy”, “very unhappy”. In 2003 the International Fund World According to happiness index estimated in Values Survey conducted the first global 58 countries worldwide, the Russian Federation research in 65 countries. The result was takes 40th place2. extremely unexpected. The happiest countries 1 Happy planet index. – Available at: www.priroda.su were Nigeria, Mexico, Venezuela, the Republic 2 The survey was conducted in October – December 2011 of El Salvador, Puerto Rico, then Western in the framework of the global research “Global Barometer on Europe, the USA and Canada. Russia turned Hope and Despair” covering the population majority of the world. All in all 45 thousand people from 58 countries were out to be among the unhappiest. questioned. In every country the respondents were questioned In 2008 the same organization conducted a according to the national probability sampling with the help of research already in 97 countries. The highest personal interviews, phone interviews or online questionnaire. Questionnaires in Russia were conducted by research company figures of happiness were stated in Denmark, “Romir” – the representative of Gallup International in Russia. 120 1 (25) 2013 Economic and social changes: facts, trends, forecast SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT A.A. Shabunova, M.V. Morev In Russia the number of happy people is Methods and results of the presented investi- far less than in the whole world (39% against gation 53%), but the number of unhappy is fewer (8% Methodological basis of investigation is the against 13%). However, Russia is in the decile mass sociological questionnaire of the Vologda of countries where the share of respon- Oblast’s population, conducted by representa- dents replied neutrally “neither happy, nor tive regional sampling. The volume of the unhappy” (42%). The share of happy people sampling frame comprised 1500 respondents in Russia comprises 39%. Sociologists suppose aged over 18. Representation of sociological that it speaks about Russians’ peculiarities of information was provided by using the model national culture and mentality, for example, of multistage district sampling on a quota selec- about their stoic or fatal perception of events in tion basis of survey units on the last stage. The their own lives or about restraint in estimating first stage of sampling concerned district divi- their own “happiness” and “unhappiness”. sion due to constituencies. The second stage Happiness level index of Russians comprises included assignment of such typical subjects 31 items. The ranked list among the neighbors in the Vologda Oblast as the cities of Vologda of Russia includes the USA, Pakistan and and Cherepovets, and the districts – Babaevsky, Hong Kong [5]. Velikoustugsky, Vozhegodsky, Gryazovetsky, This article presents the results of the Kirillovsky, Nikolsky, Tarnogsky, and Sheksnin- happiness level survey, which was conducted sky. The third stage is territorial district division in the Vologda Oblast in October 2012 by inside of the selected subjects. The fourth stage ISEDT RAS. The survey allowed not only concerned immediate selection of respondents determining Vologda residents’ “happiness due to specified quotas according to sex and level”, but also specifying the factors influ- age. Sample error does not exceed 5%. encing their positive emotions and feeling of 65% of residents in the Vologda Oblast happiness formation. experience sensation of happiness (fig. 1). Figure 1. Distribution of responses: “Everything happens in life – good or bad, but generally speaking, are you happy or no?” (in % due to number of respondents) 100 82 80 69 65 60 47 40 18 20 13 0 Certainly and rather yes Certainly and rather no Happiness index Russian Federation (April, 2012) Vologda Oblast (October, 2012) Sources: ISEDT RAS research; data base RPORC (www.wciom.ru). Economic and social changes: facts, trends, forecast 1 (25) 2013 121 Vologda residents’ notions of happiness According to Russian Public Opinion Defining the notion happiness for them- Research Center’s (RPORC) data, the ratio of selves, 27% of Vologda residents (in Russia “happy” Russians is more than 82% [4], while – 28%) marked that it is “family and well- interpreting the results temporal characteris- being”; 23% (in Russia – 17%) – “own health tics of public opinion, such as seasonal factor and health of relatives”; 12% - “children and impact (spring – autumn) on subjective self- grandchildren” (tab. 1). In Russia the