SOC344 2020 Tut9 – Friday 12.30pm

Emotional reflexivity, our ability to reflect on how new information makes us feel/act and then apply that to our lives (Mary Holmes, 2011), is definitely more prominent in late modern society due to awareness of emotions through social media, and there’s more education on the importance of mental health in institutions, such as schools and workplaces. When done right, the emergence of mindfulness practices definitely assist individuals into being reflective on their inner thoughts and emotions, which can be often forgotten as we go through life constantly managing our emotions, and it is through personal reflection that we can understand our emotions the most since others will have different ideas of emotions, such as happiness, depending on their social and cultural backgrounds and experiences. I do agree with Roger that being reflective of how we feel and act, in isolated and social contexts, and how others are feeling will allow us to understand our emotions more, specifically happiness in this context. I also strongly agree with the comment that we don’t always have to try and be happy and that although it is good to have a goal of having an overall happier life, there are times, places, situations in which other emotions have their purpose and we shouldn’t disregard emotions we perceive to be ‘bad’, such as anger or sadness. If we are to continue to study and measure happiness, what are some important aspects we need to keep in mind when collecting qualitative/quantitative data? #SOC344 #Tut9 #Fri1230

Happiness is an interesting emotion to look into. How do we know if someone is genuinely happy? How do we know what true happiness is? Can someone be truly happy? How about collective happiness, is collective happiness an impossible fantasy or is it achievable? Individual happiness and collective happiness is closely linked. We are influenced and shaped by our context, environment and social connections. To achieve collective happiness, we need to achieve individual happiness and vice versa. Because emotions are becoming increasingly individualised in a neoliberal capitalist society, happiness becomes more of an individual issue. As emotional reflexivity emerges, it results in people "trying to understand and alter their lives in relation to their social and natural environment and to others.” (Mary Holmes 2010) and we see that the commodification of happiness emerging. We see Instagram 'influencers' living 'happy lives' that are actually often false narratives. Because happiness is so sought after, these influencers are constantly portraying happy lives to show their audience that they are happy and healthy. They usually push the narratives of happiness through things like wellness programs, wellness books, 'holistic and happy thinking', energy boosters, etc; and these are often more so creates a placebo effect. It becomes more damaging than beneficial, as the audience are constantly exposed to these influencers and are comparing Instagram happiness to their own happiness and life. And because most of these 'happiness tools' are falsely advertised things that do not usually work, people become more hard on themselves and often question "why am I not happy like them? Is there something wrong with me?". So we see how emotions are getting more complex because of emotional reflexivity and the emergence of always having to portray 'the good life' on social media.

I believe emotions and happiness are becoming more individualised, people are becoming aware of their surroundings and the factors that may affect how they feel. Happiness can’t be a direct emotion, there are many feelings that contribute to happiness, and one in particular is satisfaction and contentment. Holmes (2016) talks about emotions relating to Facebook. I feel as though online friendships has a major affect on how we feel, if someone un-friends a person because they’ve had a fight or the relationship has broken up, it can lead the other person becoming very upset and a sense of embarrassment. The notions around online etiquette can be very complex to understand, to un-friend or un-follow someone on social media can lead to awkward encounters when seeing the other person in real life, it can also change group dynamics and a sense of etiquette for what you do online can be perceived as rude and unnecessarily hurting someone else (Holmes, 2016). #S344UOW #Tut9 #Fri1230

I find this phenomena of individualised happiness really interesting and compelling. This shift that has occurred as societies embrace capitalism and the responsibilisation of happiness has meant that happiness almost needs to be earned. I argue that the phenomena of indivdiualised happiness is a Western phenomena. Holmes raises an interesting point about how happiness manifests in minority groups (Holmes 2016, p. 124). Obviously when social issues are being faced by minority cultures, their ideas of happiness and how they achieve it differ from dominant cultures (Holmes 2016, p. 117). To then make a point back to your question Roger, understanding what makes others happy and how that differs from our own is so important in striving for overall well-being of society. Happiness through a Western lens sees it as an emotion of the individual. However, when social disadvantage is faced by minority individuals, seeking collective support as a way to achieve happiness is common. For example, participation in cultural events is a way that Aboriginal communities come together to celebrate their lives, increase happiness and overcome feelings of despair (ABS 2008). So, if happiness is achieved by different means across Australian society, there is obviously a gap that lies that fails to consider not all ways of achieving happiness is an individual responsibility. Therefore, should Australian governments put more resources into these different modes of achieving happiness? Or is it just a waste of time and money due to the way societies are moving forward in an indivdiualised way anyway?

Happiness is a broad subject and it can be approached through various aspects (theological, philosophical, economical, etc) with each approach presenting different theories and guides on how to achieve happiness (either as a collective or individually). However, the prominent discourse surrounding happiness is placing the responsibility of such complex emotion on the individuals. In his article Elements of a Sociological Contribution to Happiness Studies, Bartram (2012) outlines two main aspects sociologists theorize on happiness: subjective and objective. He argues how objective living conditions such as wealth, rights can affect a person’s subjective evaluation of happiness. It is the field of sociology’s role to draw out the complex layers of sociological factors that impact each person’s experience of well-being. This is also reflected in the Easterlin Paradox, where it is stated that “at a point in time both among and within nations, happiness varies directly with income, but over time, happiness does not increase when a country’s income increases”. Since the overall state of a country affects elements such as health care, minimum wage, equality,...these structures have a direct impact on an individual’s feeling of wellness. The question is raised, then, should (if yes then how) government prioritize well-being of its citizens? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJzSWacrkKo Bartram, D 2012, ‘Sociological Contribution to Happiness Studies’, Sociology Compass, Vol. 6/8, pp.644-656 Easterlin, R, McVey, L, Switek, M, Sawangfa, O & Zweig, J 2010, ‘The happiness-income paradox revisited’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dec 2010, 107(52)

There is a societal expectation that we should display happiness all the time and there is often some guilt around displaying other emotions. In this way, emotions have become more individualised and expected to be managed. However, I think that in order to really understand happiness we should not try to limit our emotions to purely positive based ones. Holmes discusses the need to “redefine sadness” (p.118) and “recognise sadness as part of the human experience” (p.118), which I think is critical to individuals particularly as in society feeling sadness is often judged poorly. Allowing ourselves to feel emotions in their full form rather than masking them in a socially accepted fake happiness is key to the human emotional experience. This is not to say that we should lack optimism, as Bennett explains and Holmes states “optimism of everyday life performs important social functions” (p.116) and especially with present day circumstances of COVID-19, climate change and other global devastations, optimism is crucial. Nevertheless, I think allowing one’s self to feel sadness, disappointment, grief and sorrow should not be discouraged as they allow a deeper understanding of what happiness, empathy and hope mean. #S344UOW20 #Tut9 #Fri1230

I have been guilty of lacking optimism since studying sociology. I often longed to return to my ‘ignorance is bliss’ approach to life because the more I knew and understood, the more it impacted my emotions. I resonated with Holmes’s (2016 p. 129) point that discusses the optimism of critics of colonialism and revolutionary change. Holmes (2016, p. 129) continues by referencing Franz Fanon and the oppressed engaging in violence to ‘… achieve catharsis and gain political and personal independence’. Speaking from an Indigenous standpoint, I strongly agree as I have engaged in various forms of this. Unfortunately, the process involves feeling emotions such as anger, shame, guilt, frustration and more before being able to break through the western lens and engage with Indigenous knowledge and methodologies. In doing so, I feel waves of happiness that result in a sense of optimism for the future, specifically for Indigenous peoples. My peer Cassandra states ‘the very moral systems by which people feel happy and at ease frequently hurt others’. I believe that we as a society would greatly benefit from individuals engaging with emotional reflexivity to foster a more cohesive and harmonious world that acknowledges societal inequalities rather than ignoring them. Are we as a society equipped to endure uncomfortable conversations relating to social inequalities for the purpose of a more positive, progressive society? In doing so, would this encourage more empathy and understanding and an acceptance that the pursuit of consistent happiness is unobtainable? #S344UOW20 #Tut9 #Fri1230

I find what Kate said interesting in terms of adaptability and the capacity to see from new perspectives. I think there are certainly situations where one can be more joyous and contented by changing their perceptions of the situation, or past situations, or of themselves. Which addresses the point Kate raises about having a valued sense of self. In tension with this ability to feel different about the same situation, are situations one comes to tolerate because they believe they lack agency over that situation. Perhaps they do lack agency over that situation. Per Mary Holmes’ emotional reflexivity, to what ends are you managing your emotions? Are you seeking to be content and happy at the expense of those suffering in your happiness and contentment, as Alyssa notes of Tan & Forgas, 2010, happy people tend to be less empathetic. I found the application of the concept of Moral Injury (in contrast to stigma) to stigmatised groups, very interesting in this vein (Iim Halimatusa’diyah, 2019). Particularly for groups who are routinely oppressed by systems that make others feel perfectly at ease, or even happy. Racial example: the police keep us safe. Trans example: the gatekeeping medical system is good for you. Gendered example: the guy all the girls know is a rapist is actually a Top Bloke. The emotional strain of tolerating, or even accepting this belittlement, is, according to Halimatusa’diyah, very damaging long term. However, dismissing or challenging it from a place of grounded esteem is going to upset the happiness of the clueless transgressors. The very moral systems by which people feel happy and at ease frequently hurt others. So they will claim the complainant is overreacting, that they were simply joking around. The desire for everything to be happy and comfortable can at times feel horrifying - asphyxiating. Grinning through murder. I’m reminded of the ebook Until You Continue To Behave. https://uyctb.com/ How can we identify happiness and comfort that exists at the expense of others? What do you do about it? #S344UOW20 #Tut9 #Fri1230

I believe happiness is an emotion which is evolving alongside the evolution of the social and cultural development of society. Human beings have an undenying desire to belong and be loved and love others. Particularly in westernised society, social structures have shifted from the traditional practices of maintaining marriage and gendered roles to as high as 50% divorce rates and many households having 2 full-time working adults. For many households basic practices such as eating dinner together as a family are no longer valued and children are becoming more dependent on technology to fulfil their needs of attachment, attention and overall happiness. This happiness however is driven by unrelenting standards of the online world which suggests to all users in numerous subconscious ways that what you have, how you look, what your achievements are in life - are not good enough. How can we expect people to be content and peaceful when bombarded 24/7 with these messages? How can we expect children to develop into confident and secure adults when exposed to this? Particularly when combined with a parent/s who do not fill their basic needs. It’s a typical reference to Maslow’s triangle of basic rights that makes up the human psyche for happiness. #SOC344 #Tut9 #Fri1230

Emotions are becoming increasingly individualised and commodified in our globalised and capitalised world. The rise in personal responsibility for the management of happiness and associated emotions has occurred alongside the rise in Illouz’s (2008) ‘therapy culture’; a commodification of emotion management. So, I see it as no surprise that the pursuit of happiness is cast as an individual’s responsibility. The individualisation of happiness makes sense as personal circumstances do strongly influence one’s experience of happiness, however, the influence of broader social, economic and political factors cannot be ignored. The proliferation of lists on how to be happy, measures of happiness and the general attitude towards happiness as something we should be constantly pursuing increase the individualisation of the emotion and detract from the broader influences on happiness. For example, if someone is so focused on getting a job to increase their happiness, they may fail to take into account that unemployment is increasing and can be structurally imposed, that their unhappiness is not entirely their fault. The interaction between global forces of capitalism and the role of emotion in culture has individualised happiness, but can it ever be wholly individualised when it is so strongly influenced by broader forces? #S344UOW20 #Tut9 #Fri1230

In order to understand if happiness is truly individualised, we must assess the factors that contribute to the existence of happiness or its modern counterpart: contentment. As acknowledged by many governments, social factors are key in allowing an individual a solid basis to be happy. Basic needs such as food security, reliable income and shelter are crucial for an individual to be happy. The spike in mental illness in the Western world can be attributed to the cultural acceptance of overworking. Leisure time and human connections are necessary for people to be truly happy. Whereas for individuals to succeed in work and life, it is required for us to sacrifice our personal time. People who wish to take time off to look after their mental health or spend time with their family are deemed less hardworking. This is clear in the assumption that stay-at-home-mothers do not work as hard as their employed husbands. Happiness is an individual responsibility to an extent but also relies on structural and environmental factors to flourish. #S344UOW20 #Tut9 #Fri1230

Our individual happiness is influenced by a multitude of social factors. Studies have shown that nations with higher GDPs report higher levels of happiness than those with lower GDPs (Frey, 2008). The same is true for democratic nations compared to those with little or no levels of democracy (Frey & Stutzer, 2000). It is also known that higher levels if inequality lead to unhappiness and perhaps in contradiction to popular belief, recent studies have shown that positive mood can lead to more selfish behavior and negative (sadness) moods lead to more empathetic responses to other people (Tan & Forgas, 2010). However, unhappiness is treated as an individual issue, one to be resolved with therapy, medication and a multitude of self-help books. I think it must be noted that there is a difference between overall life satisfaction and the feeling of happiness that we might experience as a day to day emotion and that difference must be considered when trying to understand what it means to be happy in today’s society. Mary Homes’ idea of emotional reflexivity is useful here too, if we can understand how society affects our own happiness, it becomes easier to understand what needs to be changed to make society happier. #s344uow20 #tut9 #fri1230

The level of happiness within each individual doesn't necessarily define who we are as humans and happiness a lot of the time can be a facade or faked. In terms of rating scales of happiness I believe is not a positive way to look a things because if you are always comparing yourself to a satisfaction scale you are never going to want to show weakness. Within the reading 'Sociology for optimists' by Holmes, M 2016 she talks about how "if optimism is the expectation of a better future then a sociology for optimists needs to understand how change occurs". This quote resinates with me because I feel like sometimes our level of happiness is caused by ones ability to adapt to change and see things from a different perspective. Holmes also discusses the change of education systems and starting to build a foundation that suits all learning styles so that no one feels left out especially because fear of being different at such a young age can create a sense of marginalisation in older years. Adjusting to social circumstances all depends on how comfortable you are within yourself and how you can warm to new situations. Equality is a massive part of feeling vulnerable and being accepted for who you are even if this doesn't suit societies norms. Gender equality, ethnic and racial equality and economic equality just to name a few. Being happy and feeling that sense of emotion does not have to be based off of superficial things and to the core of natural happiness is within to be able to spread happiness you need to be able to confidently say "I am happy" and mean it. #S344UOW20 #Tut9 #Fri1230