Wisdom on the Pursuit of Happiness in Daily Life.
-
Shoko Suzuki
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to provide perspectives on conducting an international comparative study of happiness. This comparative survey, which the Free University of Berlin, Germany, and Kyoto University began jointly in 2008, is a truly international, interdisciplinary research project that designated Japan and Germany as sites for anthropological fieldwork where experts in philosophy, sociology, and pedagogy would jointly tackle the same field. Employing a historical and cultural anthropology perspective, this research project starts with the assumption not to seek to identify a model of happiness or well-being that goes beyond history and culture. Rather, the main focus of the research has been on how happiness and well-being are constructed in interactions among family members in the course of their various daily practices as well as in the ritual practices involved in families celebrating a festive occasion. First, in addressing family happiness, we examined the Christmas period for German households as typical seasonal festivity celebrated by families.
© 2013 Akademie Verlag GmbH, Markgrafenstr. 12-14, 10969 Berlin.
Articles in the same Issue
- Editorial
- Introduction: Well-being in Ritual Practices
- The Price of Ritual
- Can Happiness be Created in Rituals?
- Fast Food and Fun.
- Die Organisation von Wohlbefinden in japanischen Kindergärten
- Rite of Redemption.
- Ritual and Well-being in the Contemporary Shikoku- Pilgrimage: The “Spectrum of the Sacred”
- The Auspiciousness of the Performative Body – Ritual Dancing in Folk-Religious Festivals in Japan
- Folk Performing Arts, Community Life, and Well-being: Why shishimai Matters in Toyama, Japan
- Bullfighting, Self-Enhancement, and Well-Being in Rural Japan
- Whose Festival is it?
- Shinjo Matsuri: Community Revitalization through the Construction and Circulation of Decorated Floats
- Rituelle Modulation, Liminalität und die nembutsu-Praxis im ländlichen Japan
- The Happiness of the Family.
- Wisdom on the Pursuit of Happiness in Daily Life.
- Transnational Ecstasy and Japanese Ganbarism: Cultural Patterns in the Pedagogy of Outward Bound Japan
- From Fighting to Joy in Kendo
- The “Performance” of Kyōgen.
- Well-being and Risk-taking Behavior.
Articles in the same Issue
- Editorial
- Introduction: Well-being in Ritual Practices
- The Price of Ritual
- Can Happiness be Created in Rituals?
- Fast Food and Fun.
- Die Organisation von Wohlbefinden in japanischen Kindergärten
- Rite of Redemption.
- Ritual and Well-being in the Contemporary Shikoku- Pilgrimage: The “Spectrum of the Sacred”
- The Auspiciousness of the Performative Body – Ritual Dancing in Folk-Religious Festivals in Japan
- Folk Performing Arts, Community Life, and Well-being: Why shishimai Matters in Toyama, Japan
- Bullfighting, Self-Enhancement, and Well-Being in Rural Japan
- Whose Festival is it?
- Shinjo Matsuri: Community Revitalization through the Construction and Circulation of Decorated Floats
- Rituelle Modulation, Liminalität und die nembutsu-Praxis im ländlichen Japan
- The Happiness of the Family.
- Wisdom on the Pursuit of Happiness in Daily Life.
- Transnational Ecstasy and Japanese Ganbarism: Cultural Patterns in the Pedagogy of Outward Bound Japan
- From Fighting to Joy in Kendo
- The “Performance” of Kyōgen.
- Well-being and Risk-taking Behavior.
