Relationship Between Spiritual Well-being and Happiness

Relationship Between Spiritual Well-being and Happiness INTRODUCTION This chapter comprises of the summary of the present study, the conclusions drawn after the analysis of the data and the implications of the study. It also includes the limitations of the study along with the suggestions for future research. SUMMARY The purpose of the study was to compare the happiness of individuals scoring high on spiritual well being and individuals scoring low on spiritual well being. Further, the study also explored whether there were any significant gender differences in happiness as well as spiritual well being. Random sampling method was used to collect the sample. The sample was collected from various post graduate colleges and private companies in the city. First permission was sought from the institutes to conduct the research in their respective campus. Then the questionnaires were administered to the participants. The sample was administered two questionnaires, in order to measure the relevant variables of the study. Spirituality was assessed with the help of the Spiritual Well Being Questionnaire by Ellison Paloutzian (1982). Happiness was measured using the Subjective Happiness Scale by Lyubomirsky Lepper (1999). The sample size was 222. To compare the happiness of individuals scoring high on spiritual well being and individuals scoring low on spiritual well being, the total sample (N-222) was divided into two groups based on the scored obtained on the Spiritual Well Being Scale by Ellison Paloutzian (1982). Those individuals whose scores lay one SD above the mean (above 104.38) formed the high group whereas those individuals whose scores lay one SD below the mean (below74.84) formed the low group. Thus, the sample consisted of 44 in the high and 37 in the low group (N=81). For studying the gender differences in happiness and spiritual well being, the sample comprised of 112 male and 110 females (N=222). The sample belonged to the middle class of society, from the age range of 21 to 30 years of age. It included unmarried individuals of different religious groups (Hindus, Muslims, Christians). It included students as well as working professionals residing in Pune city. The minimum educational qualification of the sample was twelfth grade. SPSS software was used for the purpose of analyzing the obtained data. The independent samples T Test was employed to compare the groups on happiness and spiritual well being. Based on the review of relevant literature, the hypotheses of the present study were formulated as: Individuals who score high on spiritual well being will be significantly happier as compared to individuals who score low on spiritual well being. There will be no significant difference in happiness among males and females. Women will score significantly higher on spiritual well being than males. CONCLUSIONS The findings from the present study can be concluded as follows: It was found that there was a significant difference in happiness between individuals who scored high on spiritual well being as compared to individuals who scored low. The mean score of the high group was significantly higher on the variable of happiness as compared to the mean score of the low group. Therefore it can be concluded that individuals who score high on spiritual well being were happier as compared to individuals who score low on spiritual well being. Gender differences were observed on happiness. It was found that there was a significant difference in happiness between males and females, with females scoring significantly higher on happiness in comparison with males. Hence, it can be concluded that women are happier in comparison with men. No gender differences were observed on the variable of spiritual well being. It was found that there was no significant difference in spiritual well being between males and females. Even though the mean score for women was higher, the difference was not significant. Thus, it can be concluded that there are no significant gender differences on spiritual well being. IMPLICATION OF THE STUDY It was found from the present study that individuals high on spiritual well being were happier in comparison individuals low on spiritual well being and no gender differences were seen in spiritual well being. It was also found that women were happier than men. The study of gender differences is essential in understanding how different genders respond to different situations. Spirituality can be used in counseling and therapeutic settings as a coping mechanism to enhance mental health. Furthermore, the findings of the study have implications in the medical field, where people with life threatening diseases can be taught to cope using spiritual practices and techniques. The findings also can be used to create awareness and psycho-educating people about the benefits of spirituality. Since spiritual well being is related with greater happiness, people can use spiritual techniques to improve their well being. LIMITATIONS One important limitation in the comparison of individuals scoring high on spiritual well being and individuals scoring low, was that gender was not controlled. There were more women (25) in the high group as compared to men (19). On the other hand there were more male in the low group (22) than females (15). Lee, Seacombe Shehan in 1991 found that women were more likely to report themselves as happy compared to men (Diener et al, 1999). Gender may have had an influence on the dependent variable, happiness. Another limitation of the study was that the sample size, for comparing happiness of individuals scoring high and low on spiritual well being, was small. Hence it is difficult to make sweeping generalizations. The religious affiliation of the sample was not controlled. The sample consisted of individuals belonging to different religions such as Hindu’s, Muslims and Christians. However, the three religious groups were not equally represented. Thus, this becomes a limitation as religion may play a role in an individual’s spiritual well being and happiness. Further, other religious groups were not included which also is a limitation. The age range of the sample was 21 to 30 years. Hence, the results may not applicable to other age groups. The sample included individuals belonging to the middle strata of society living in an urban area in Pune city. Thus, individuals from the lower and upper class of society as well as those residing in rural areas were not considered which becomes a limitation as results may not valid for these groups. Since self report inventories were used for obtaining the relevant data, social desirability and faking could not be controlled. This also becomes a limitation of the study. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH In the present study gender was not controlled while comparing individuals scoring high on spiritual well being and those scoring low on spiritual well being. Some research studies indicate that women are happier than men (Blanchflower and Oswald 2004; Frey and Stutzer 2002; Praag and Ferrer-i-Carbonell 2008 cited in Tiefenbach and Kohlbacher,2013) whereas others suggest that men are the happier sex (Stevenson Wolfers, 2009 cited in Compton Hoffman, 2011). Hence it is recommended to take equal number of males and females in order to get a better understanding of the relationship between spirituality and happiness. Further, it is suggested to consider the religious affiliations of the participants by taking equal number of individuals from each religious group (Cohen, 2002). Also, religious minorities can be included to increase generalizability. Future research can also study different age groups such as middle aged adults and geriatric population. Research has shown that happiness decreases from youth to middle age and then increases from middle age to old age (Blanchflower Oswald, 2008 cited in Carr, 2011). Thus, different age group can be compared on spirituality and happiness. Further research can delve into various other factors such as socioeconomic status, geographical location, marital status, family structure and study its relationship with spirituality and happiness so as to understand if these factors mediate the relationship between the two variables.

The Fight for Freedom and Rights in Early America Essay -- People Hist

The Fight for Freedom and Rights in Early America The names and faces of those considered pioneers in the fight for rights and freedom may not be instantly recognizable, but nevertheless, they are an important part to the history of the United States of America. Throughout the history of our country, there has not just been an injustice towards black slaves, but also towards women, with both being unfairly discriminated against. It was the work of many individuals who brought the unfamiliar taste for rights for all God’s creatures to the mouths of many people. The impact of such people, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Frederick Douglass, towards the demand for rights for women and slaves cannot be measured. Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) was born and raised in Johnstown, New York and was one of six children (Stanton 169). She was an incredibly gifted woman, extremely smart and intelligent and had a tongue for linguistics, as she had studied Greek and Latin. She enjoyed intellectual and stimulating conversations and became quite interested in temperance movements, abolishing slavery, and the struggle to gain rights for women. One day, after a discussion with like-minded women, she proposed a woman’s convention to discuss their situation. In July of 1848, she organized the first woman’s rights convention in the United States, known as the Seneca Falls Convention. Frederick Douglass was a slave with ambition and he became more educated than most slaves were by learning how to read. This in theory was good, but at times, did not work out to his advantage. His acumen and intelligence were characteristics that fed his yearning for knowledge and his taste for freedom. Frederick Douglass (1817-1895) was born... ...e of Elizabeth Cady Stanton or Frederick Douglass, but their impact on American history cannot be calculated. Their goals and ideas pushed through a white male dominated world and they set out to make change. They knew it would not come easily, but they knew it was something they were willing to fight forever for. It is due to their leadership, intelligence, and the strength in their hearts for the reason why they are considered two of the most important pioneers in the fight for freedom and the fight for rights for all individuals in our society. Works Cited Douglass, Frederick. â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.† A World of Ideas. Ed. Lee Jacobus. Boston: Bedford, 2002. 125-140. Stanton, Elizabeth Cady. â€Å"Declarations of Sentiments and Resolutions.† A World of Ideas. Ed. Lee Jacobus. Boston: Bedford, 2002. 169-178.

A Report into Racism Essay

It is important to carry out this investigation because in the long term children who are in our care at the moment will be the next generation of adults who will run the country one day. By teaching children values and respect at a young age, society will be fairer to everyone. It is crucial to learn about anti-discrimination practice as it may affect children’s development, for example a child that experiences racial discrimination may lack confidence throughout their lives. Racism occurs at times when people do not understand cultures and traditions that are different to the ones they follow themselves. These thoughts and ideas are usually passed on from parents and carers to a child from a young age and stay with them as they grow up so that they form stereotypical views. Research by Milner (1983) shows that â€Å"children as young as 3 years attach value to skin colour, with both black and white children perceiving white as superior to black. † This supports the theory that children can absorb messages about racial stereotyping from a very young age. By undertaking this investigation I will become an efficient diploma childcare and education worker in how to avoid discrimination in a setting and reinforce my knowledge on best practice. I will observe the influence of resources in promoting anti-racism within the day nursery. I will learn more about children’s rights, the law that protects them from racism and where I stand in the eye of the law. In the future my knowledge from this study will raise my awareness of racism and prevent it occurring – after all, prevention is better than cure. Discrimination is the ability to identify differences between individuals or groups, then to deny one individual or group favour of another. From a health and care point of view this means denying access to services and preventing equal opportunities. A definition of racism by Meggitt et al. (2000) states: â€Å"Racism is the belief that some ‘races’ are superior to others based on the false idea that different physical characteristics (i. e. skin colour) or ethnic background make some people better than others. † Racial discrimination can occur to anyone, at any time in their lives, at any age from babies to the elderly. Be so affected by stereotyping that events become a self-fulfilling prophecy, for example, if a black child is told that black people are destined to be lower classed and not achieve well then the child behaves accordingly with expectations. Review of Literature Stephen Lawrence was brutally murdered aged 18 years on April 22nd 1993. He was waiting with his friend Duwayne Brooks for a bus home at 22. 30. Stephen walked into the centre of the road to see if a bus was coming and his friend called out to him. A group of 5 or 6 white youths across the other side of the road called out ‘what, what nigger? ‘ and they all approached Stephen and stabbed him twice, once in the chest and once in the arm. Both these wounds severed arteries and he would have died instantly if he had not been so physically fit and ran 100 yards before he fell to his death. Stephen Lawrence’s unprovoked attack was solely motivated by racism. Nobody to this day has been convicted of this appalling crime. The police have been criticised for taking prolonging the investigation. No other witnesses have come forward to identify the killers apart from Brooks even after the huge publicity of the murder. Three of the prime suspects were taken to trial in 1996, however the prosecution failed due to lack of sustainable evidence and they can never be tried again in the present law. Two other suspects were released in 1995 and there is no chance of them being prosecuted with existing evidence. This shows that the police force involved needed to work harder at the time to ensure that the murderers were jailed when they were trailed. The police force must work harder in the future to prevent any further racial violence cases reaching the same conclusion as the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. Also, legislation and laws will have to be looked at very carefully to avoid the same issues raised. The government think that from this case new regulations will be made: â€Å"†¦ we do believe that the debate about policing and racism has been transformed by this Inquiry†¦ † Damilola Taylor was killed among the tower blocks of a run down estate in Peckham whilst returning home from an after-school computer class. He was attacked by a group of Afro-Caribbean boys who stabbed him in the leg and then forced a marble down his throat to keep him from shouting for help. The police were criticised again for their handling of the case. More than 120 officers worked on the case at an estimated i 2. 5 million, however at the trial the main witness was found to be a liar and dismissed; and the two of the four defendants were released by the judge.

The Cold War Was A Conflict - 2032 Words

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