Factors of Influence on the State of Happiness in the Contemporary Russian Society

Abstract

The article analyzes the level of happiness on the basis of the data provided by the RLMS study. Happiness is viewed as a subjective state of mind influenced by the social situation in which an individual finds him or herself. The level of happiness turns out to be dependent on sex and age. The latter is especially salient: young people feel happy more often than respondents in more advanced age groups. Standards of living and employment are also marked as variable that have considerable impact on the level of happiness. It appears that income influences happiness indirectly through the parameters of social environment and norms that characterize it. A respondent feels somewhat happier if his or her level of material well-bing is higher than the average. The level of respect shown by other people towards the respondent is another factor that can impact the level of happiness. The feeling of loneliness is a variable with considerable influence on other parameters of social life: the lonelier is the person, the more likely he or she would feel unhappy. The study demonstrated that the level of happiness, against expectations, depends primarily on the quality of social milieu.