Happiness Of Citizens Research Articles

Does Renewable Energy Matter for Economic Growth and Happiness?

This paper investigates whether renewable energy influences economic growth and happiness. Using panel data from 25 European Union countries for the period 2012–2022, this study employs a panel model for estimation with fixed and random effects, and robust HAC standard errors. According to the research results, in general, the growing share of renewable energy in the energy mix has a positive impact on economic growth and the happiness of citizens. However, detailed research has shown that this effect depends on the type of energy; a significant positive impact was recorded only in solar share energy, wind share energy and economic growth. However, almost all types of renewable energy were included, i.e., biofuel, hydro, solar and other renewable share energy, and all had a significantly positive impact on the level of happiness. The exception was wind share energy, which showed a significant negative impact. The research findings of this paper provide empirical support for promoting renewable energy, which is positive both for economies and the happiness of citizens. It is one of the main aspects of sustainable economic growth.

The Subjective Quality of City and Its Correlation with Citizen Happiness

Cities face various challenges particularly on city planning, environmental threats, technology, the lack of resources and social inequality. The ability of policy makers and urban leaders to deal with these challenges will determine the success of the city development and its people. Basically, people’s happiness is the main purpose of city planning and infrastructure. The government needs to implement the happiness factor as city quality parameters in the future. The aim of this study is to examine the correlation between the subjective quality of the city which is reflected in the city planning policies and the citizens’ level of happiness. The methodology of this research is quantitative descriptive applying correlation analysis. Data collection was done through questionnaires and distributed in three cities in Indonesia which are Bandung, Semarang and Denpasar. The finding implies that three cities indicate positive correlation. The level of correlation in Bandung is the highest among three cities.

EDITORIAL

The February issue of Al-Burhan journal commences with an illuminating exploration into the profound realm of Maqāṣid al-Qur’ān. This meticulous analysis unveils the inherent noble goals of preservation, justice, compassion, and knowledge within the Quranic framework. By adeptly integrating expert insights and diverse methodologies, the study not only sheds light on the nuanced understanding of Maqāṣid but also accentuates its enduring relevance across varied contexts and epochs. It eloquently advocates for a just and compassionate way of life rooted in Islamic principles, fostering harmony among diverse communities, while poignantly emphasising the Qur’ān’s profound significance as a timeless source of divine wisdom.
 The subsequent article ventures into an examination of critical thinking from a Quranic perspective, highlighting the deficiencies in conventional education systems. It stresses the imperative of integrating ethical, moral, and spiritual dimensions into traditional frameworks, recognising knowledge beyond the empirical. Drawing parallels between Quranic teachings and Western models, the research aims to promote a comprehensive approach to critical thinking. By prioritising moral and spiritual growth alongside technical skills, it challenges prevailing educational paradigms and advocates for holistic development.
 Understanding the communication methods of Prophet Mohammad (SAW) holds paramount importance for both Muslims and non-Muslims seeking to emulate his sunnah. Through a comprehensive archival study of ahadeeth in Sahih Al-Bukhari, the subsequent article unveils quantitative insights into the verbal and nonverbal communicative elements employed by the Prophet. This research provides valuable insights into Prophet Mohammad's communicative example, guiding successful messaging and adherence to his Sunnah.
 The halal certification process undergoes a thorough analysis in the fourth article, utilizing Quranic verses and Shariah principles as guiding benchmarks. By focusing on legislation, practicality, harm elimination, and positive impact, the research evaluates market leaders across various sectors. It emphasises the necessity of incorporating Shariah principles in understanding customer demand, especially in sectors such as processed food and clothing. Ultimately, the research aims to foster economic and social growth through the production and consumption of more halal products and services.
 The fifth article delves into the importance of applied research in driving societal change, particularly in addressing pressing issues such as food shortages exacerbated by population growth. Despite the absence of explicit mention in the Qur’an, the study adeptly demonstrates the relevance of applied research in enhancing agricultural productivity. Through illuminating examples from diverse contexts, the research highlights the indispensable role of applied research in addressing societal issues and fostering tangible positive transformations.
 A nuanced exploration of human evolution from an Islamic standpoint is presented in the sixth article, navigating the tensions between scientific theories and religious beliefs. By highlighting the centrality of mankind's creation in Islamic theology and contrasting it with evolutionary concepts, the article prompts critical reflection and scholarly inquiry. It highlights the importance of a thorough understanding of both Islamic teachings and biological evidence in addressing this contentious issue.
 The seventh article offers a comprehensive examination of women's political engagement in Iraq post-2003, shedding light on their significant strides despite facing numerous challenges. Through historical, descriptive, and political analysis, the text underscores the noteworthy involvement of Iraqi women in governmental and parliamentary roles, showcasing their ongoing efforts to promote progress within the political system.
 Moving to the first Arabic article in this issue, the study meticulously examines the foundational principles of political authority in Islam. It highlights the consensus among Islamic scholars regarding the state's role in ensuring the welfare and happiness of citizens, emphasizing justice, trustworthiness, truth, and freedom in political governance.
 The ninth article addresses the humanity of individuals in their interactions with people of diverse faiths, emphasizing humane relations devoid of violence, extremism, and selfishness. By illuminating the Prophet's (SAW) interactions with non-Muslims, the research seeks to promote justice and generosity that transcend religious, sectarian, societal, and cultural boundaries.
 Finally, the insightful study delves into the religious dimension of the African identity crisis, examining the resistance against Western colonization in West African countries. Through a theoretical framework grounded in historical sources, the research underscores the enduring influence of figures who resisted colonial encroachment, preserving Islam's significance in Gambian society.
 In summary, the February edition presents an array of scholarly contributions that meticulously examine various facets of Islamic thought, historical narratives, and contemporary challenges, all deeply rooted in the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah. These articles collectively enrich the understanding while fostering rigorous discourse, transcending the confines of academia to engage a broader audience.
 
 
 Nurul Jannah Zainan Nazri
 Editor
 Al-Burhan Journal of Qur’an and Sunnah Studies
 
 
 

Personalizing Government Services through Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges

Using artificial intelligence (AI) to customize government services brings advantages and challenges. On the one side, artificial intelligence (AI) can assist government organizations in better comprehending the needs and preferences of citizens, improving service delivery and raising citizen happiness. On the other hand, there are concerns around privacy, security, and ethical considerations related to the use of AI in government services. This article reviews the existing literature on the use of AI in personalizing government services, identifies key opportunities and challenges, and presents case studies of successful AI implementations in government services. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and practice in the area of AI and government services.

The association between human development and citizen happiness in Indonesia: Study at 34 Provinces of Indonesia

Work on happiness and human development share a common lineage, both have been driven partly by an interest in understanding and measuring human progress and well-being. The paradox of the relationship between human development and happiness encourages us to examine the factors that influence happiness. The study of happiness is considered to be important in public administration due to public administration's concern with the relationship between government and society. For policies and programs to be truly effective to this end, they must gain a better understanding of happiness. This research uses a quantitative approach as the research design with the correlational study. This study uses two units of analysis, the first one being provinces in Indonesia and the second one being people. The Provincial data used are taken from the Central Bureau of Statistics (Badan Pusat Statistik) (BPS), about 34 Provinces. The second level unit is individuals or people and uses data from Survey Pengukuran Tingkat Kebahagian (SPTK) 2017 conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), which consists of 72,317 household heads. The result shows that human development is associated with citizen happiness in Indonesia. Overall, HDI is associated with happiness. These findings suggest that improving human development is fundamental for the happiness of Indonesian citizens, especially improving expected years of schooling, mean years of schooling, and income per capita.

Pattern of Journalists’ Reportage of Security Issues in Anambra State, Nigeria, in 2023

Security in Anambra State in the Southeast geopolitical zone is a priority issue. This is because the free movement of people doing business and pursuing their goals, the prosperity and happiness of citizens, the freedom to go about achieving ones purposes is dependent on a secure State. Journalists on the other hand have a duty under their surveillance and correlation functions to provide news and information on the state of security within their areas of jurisdiction. It thus becomes imperative to evaluate the pattern of media reportage of security issues in Anambra State from the perspective of the journalists themslves. The objectives of the study were to; determine if security issues are well reported by the media in Awka, Anambra State, examine the slant of media reportage of security issues in terms of favour to some group, determine the basic challenges faced by the media in reportage of security issues and find out the level of cooperation between security agencies and journalists in the media reportage of security Issues.The study is anchored on Social Responsibility Theory and Framing Theory. It adopted a survey research approach and drew a sample size of 162 respondents based on census sampling. Questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. Major findings from the study reveal that journalists in Awka report security issues fairly well, that majority of the journalists do not slant their news, that fear was the basic among the challenges faced by the journalists in the reportage of security issues and that journalists in Awka do not have free access to the PPRO or DPO and other security agents in the State. Among others, the study recommended that media organisations, the security formations and the State government should pay careful attention to journalists in this sensitive and hazardous line of duty, that seminars and workshops involving journalists and security agents should also be organized from time to time in order to foster unity among journalists and security agents and government should also empower security agencies and journalists with requisite resources and motivation to do more in securing lives and property.

The Concept of Marx Happiness in China

China has been the socialist country since 1949, when the new country was established. Communist Party of China (CPC) selected Marxism as the governing ideology for China which is consistent with the hierarchical and centre government system. CPC is dedicated to improving happiness of society for the citizens within the framework of Marxism ideology. However, the concept of Marxism happiness, and its development are still limited in terms of understanding and study. This paper explored the development of concept of Marxism happiness through the different works of Marx from his early writing to the authoritative academic book. The researcher then defined the concept of Marxism Happiness. This paper employs document analysis and thematic analysis to provide a clear understanding of the concept of Marxism Happiness and its implication for the happiness of Chinese citizens, meanwhile, it would be conducive to the researchers and policy makers in ideological construction of a country.

Analysis of the Influence of Common Factors on the Happiness of Internet Users

While the world gathers pace, people all have a variety of mindsets, significantly the sense of happiness, which depends on an assortment of things that happen around them and are impacted by external factors. COVID-19 broke out between 2019 and 2023, and this pandemic has extremely strong infectivity, which means if people inflect it, they cannot do anything and lie in bed and suffer from the pain. Therefore, the sense of happiness of citizens will be impacted certainly. So, according to this, there are 2019 and 2023 questionnaires. This paper analyses the age, education level, income, city level, and the suspicion of the accuracy of information of online users in 2019 and 2023, finding out whether these factors impact their sense of happiness during COVID-19. According to the research, online users age and education level is not necessarily related to their sense of happiness. However, women are more sensitive to happiness than men. In addition, the income of online users does not have a necessary relation to the sense of happiness. However, the city level and the suspicion of the accuracy of information of online users impact their sense of happiness, which, when the city is small, their sense of happiness will decrease. Therefore, COVID-19 impacts the lives of people to a certain extent.

Neighborhood Governance and Happiness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Empirical Analysis of Wuhan's Lockdown.

The outbreak of COVID-19 posed a challenge to global governance, residents' happiness, and economic systems around the world. Since the crux of previous research centers on the reactions of both local and national governments, studies on how governance arrangement at the neighborhood level influences people's happiness during the crisis response remain insufficient. This paper aims to explore the relationship between neighborhood governance and residents' happiness based on first-hand data collected during Wuhan's first lockdown. This study highlights the significance of neighborhood governance in crisis response, which includes providing diverse public services, ensuring access to life's necessities, and offering prompt medical treatment. All of these factors are essential for maintaining overall satisfaction with governance and contributing to the happiness of individuals within the community. However, active governance actions do not always lead to favorable results. For example, increased group participation may lead to social conflicts among those involved, ultimately diminishing one's happiness. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a risk 'amplifier', exposing and exacerbating pre-existing hukou-based social inequalities in the governance process. The impact of the pandemic on citizen happiness is the cumulative effect of both the immediate social crisis brought on by the pandemic and long-standing structural inequalities. To improve people's happiness and establish inclusive policies, this paper advocates for a 'people-centered' urban governance that enhances public satisfaction and addresses the needs and priorities of migrant populations.

The Effectiveness of an Integrated Training Session on Psychological Traits and Skills to Encourage the Behavior of Living based on Sufficiency Economy Philosophy among the Youth in the Community in the 21st Century

This experimental research aimed to examine the effectiveness of an integrated training session on psychological traits and skills to encourage the behavior of living based on sufficiency economy philosophy among the youth in the community in the 21st century. The sample was 320 juveniles in the communities in 4 northern provinces. The youth was divided into four groups with an unbiased random method. This research was based on 2 by 2 factorial design, with 2 active variables: 1) training session on psychological traits and 2) training session on the skills to live based on sufficiency economy philosophy. The assessment was conducted 2 months after the experiment began. In this study, a rating scale was employed to choose the question items with the highest value of discriminating power. The reliability coefficients range of the assessment was 0.696-0.883. The hypotheses were put to the test using the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The findings revealed that the youth who participated in a training session on both psychological traits and skills to live based on sufficiency economy philosophy had a higher average score than other groups in terms of the behavior of living based on sufficiency economy philosophy. This distinctly demonstrated the effectiveness of the training session in this research. According to the results, it is recommended that government agencies, especially important agencies in the community, provide integrated training sessions on both aspects to develop the behavior of living based on sufficiency economy philosophy among the youth in the community in order for them to become decent, excellent, and happy citizens.

System Dynamics Analysis of the Relationship between Urban Transportation and Overall Citizen Satisfaction: A Case Study of Patras City, Greece

The main objective of this research is to evaluate how the transport sector affects the satisfaction of citizens. The model developed aims both at assessing the satisfaction of citizens and using it as a tool to measure the change in citizens’ satisfaction resulting from new mobility practices or policies. The developed scenarios are based on the principles of sustainability and the action plans concern: better accessibility conditions for alternative means of transport; improving travel safety; reducing air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption; increasing efficiency and effectiveness in the movement of people and goods; and enhancing the attractiveness and quality of the urban environment. The results reveal that it is necessary for local decision makers to take further measures to increase the overall satisfaction of citizens with the aim of prosperity and happiness of citizens within their city, and the proposed model can support the decision-making process. Utilizing the developed system dynamics model, it is possible to make simulations with new data and at the same time to evaluate the change they bring to the individual sectors and to the overall satisfaction of the citizens.

Healthy and Happy Citizens: The Opportunities and Challenges of Co-Producing Citizens’ Health and Well-Being in Vulnerable Neighborhoods

This explorative study aims to contribute to the debate about citizen involvement in (complex) medical and social issues. Our research goals are: (1) to explore the main opportunities, threats and challenges to co-producing healthcare in vulnerable communities from the perspective of professionals, co-producers (i.e., citizens with a volunteering role) and service users (i.e., patients); (2) to distil lessons for public managers concerning the main issues involved in designing co-production initiatives. We studied co-production initiatives in the Dutch city, The Hague. These initiatives were part of a broader, unique movement named ‘Healthy and Happy The Hague’, which aims to change the way healthcare/social services are provided. Two intertwined research projects combine insights from interviews, focus group meetings and observations. The first project analyzed a variety of existing co-production initiatives in several neighborhoods; the second project involved longitudinal participatory action research on what stakeholders require to engage in co-production. The two research projects showed similarities and differences in the observed opportunities/treats/challenges. The study found that empowering citizens in their role as co-producers requires major changes in the professionals’ outlook and supporting role in the communities. It illustrates the potential of synergizing insights from healthcare governance and public administration co-production literature to benefit co-production practice.

Does Happiness Increase in Old Age? Longitudinal Evidence from 20 European Countries

Several studies indicate that happiness follows a U-shape over the life cycle: Happiness decreases after the teenage years until reaching its nadir in middle age. A similar number of studies views the U-shape critically, stating that it is the result of the wrong controls or the wrong model. In this paper, we study the upward-pointing branch of the U-shape, tracing the happiness of European citizens 50 and older over multiple waves. Consistent with a U-shape around middle age, we find that happiness initially increases after the age of 50, but commonly stagnates afterwards and eventually reverts at high age. This pattern is generally observed irrespective of the utilized happiness measure, control variables, estimation methods, and the consideration of selection effects due to mortality. However, the strength of this pattern depends on the utilized happiness measure, control variables, and on mortality effects. The general pattern does not emerge for all countries, and is not always observed for women.

Quality of Public Service One-Stop Administration System Southeast Sulawesi Province

Government organizations have a strategic position in providing quality public services. The quality of public services plays a central role in the happiness of citizens, sustainability, and growth of communities, regions, and nations. Public service is the essence of a democratic system that reflects the quality of a democratic system theoretically and strives as much as possible to provide quality public services. This study aims to analyze the quality of public services for the One-Stop Administration of the Southeast Sulawesi Province, which lasted for three months, from October to December 2021. The population of this study was all civil servants at the Office of the One-Roof Administration of Southeast Sulawesi Province totaling 125 people The research sample was 56 people using a questionnaire which was then analyzed descriptively. The results of the study show that the quality of public services is in the "good" category, meaning that employees provide services to the community with easy access, speed of provision, responsiveness, service communication, and cost-effectiveness.

Exploring Business Process Re-Engineering (BPR) ‎Efforts in Afghanistan s Public Sector -A Case ‎Study of the National Examination Authority (NExA)

‎‎ Recently the public sector of Afghanistan made a series of reforms to improve its service delivery ‎and eliminate widespread corruption. The National Examination Authority (NExA) being one of ‎them has made dramatic reforms aiming for a corruption-free and transparent process. The main ‎purpose of this study is to explore the efforts of Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) in the ‎public sector using NExA as a case study. The study adopted a qualitative methodology, with an ‎inductive approach, while the philosophy of the study is interpretivism and organization as the ‎unit of analysis. Based on the in-depth interviews, this study found that as a result of the ‎business process reforms, the examination process has improved vastly in terms of transparency, ‎cost, efficiency, and citizen happiness. This study also, found that Information Technology (IT) ‎played the main enabler role in the process. Other enablers were sound leadership, teamwork, ‎political and financial support, commitment to change, and merit-based recruitment. Resistance, ‎bureaucracy and insecurity were the constraints for BPR implementation. This study further ‎provides recommendations for the policymakers in terms of smooth implementation of the ‎business process re-engineering in the public sector organization. Limitations and future ‎implications are also discussed.‎‎

Ethical philosophy of Abu Nasr al-Farabi

The article deals with the ethical philosophy of Abu Nasr al-Farabi. The difference between al-Farabi and other thinkers, not only in the creation of his own ethical system, but also he was one of the gifted individuals who implemented these lofty ideas (a perfect philosopher, an exemplary leader, morality, ethics, morality) in his personal life. According to the scientist, beauty is the harmony of a person’s spiritual and physical beauty. The ruler is the leader of a person with ethical and aesthetic beauty. It is received by kind, caring and happy citizens. If they form a people, then it is a virtuous city. The author claims that al-Farabi used the terms “philosopher”, “first leader”, “ruler”, “legislator” and “imam” in the same sense. According to al-Farabi, each of these persons meet the requirements of ethics. To reveal the topic, the researcher analyzes the assertion of the scientist in the ethical system that “a person needs a teacher who leads to happiness.” The goal of human life is to achieve the highest happiness. The person shows the way and explains what happiness is – a mentor. The article uses “Civil policy”, “On the achievement of happiness”, “On the views of the inhabitants of a virtuous city” and other works of al-Farabi in Arabic. Key words: Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, Al-Ghazali, ethics, morality, philosophy, perfect man, civil society, virtuous city, leader, teacher, moral values.

Large-Scale Scheduling Model Based on Improved Ant Colony Algorithm

With the rapid development of the city, shared bicycle travel has also entered a stage of rapid development. In order to ensure the happiness of citizens traveling, in view of the current supply and demand resources and bicycle scheduling problems, a model of supply and demand resource forecasting and multisite and multivehicle scheduling are established. Supply and demand resource prediction uses characteristic variables based on the graph structure itself as input variables of the prediction model XGBoost (extreme gradient boosting). Combined with the actual situation, the improved ant colony algorithm is used to design a reasonable scheduling for the multisite and multivehicle routing problem (VRP). Using Xiamen City shared bicycle data for simulation training, the results show that the shared bicycle scheduling method proposed in this paper has strong robustness and rationality.

How are happy and unhappy people differently affected by their local environments? The heterogeneous relationship between happiness and local environments in Seoul, Korea

This study aims to reveal that the subjective happiness of individuals is affected not only by socioeconomic conditions but also by the local environments in which they live, and the conditions demanded by citizens in the local environment may vary depending on the level of happiness. We use the 2018 Seoul Survey of approximately 40,000 citizens (±0.4%p sampling error at 95% confidence level) and generate a final sample of 30,728 individuals between the ages of 25 and 65 years. The results of the unconditional quantile regression show a heterogeneous (non-linear) relationship between happiness and local environments. More specifically, we observe a decreasing importance of physical environments (leisure, green spaces, pedestrian spaces, public transit, public amenities, and community pride) and a increasing importance of socio-relational characteristics of the environment (trust, altruism, and safety) with increasing quantiles of happiness. Our findings suggest that public policies aimed at promoting citizen happiness through improving the local environments should more actively consider issues of efficiency and equity.

Clapping Along or Clapping Back: Of the Discourse of Hijra Community’s Resilient Happiness in Y-Film’s Hum Hain Happy

Eva Illouz, whilst discussing her text Manufacturing Happy Citizens in an interview, points out that happiness in a neoliberal economy has become a way to measure our self-worth especially as it is individualised. Being happy, thus, means to be able to strive despite the odds and yet be optimistic: to be happy in a neoliberal setup is to be resilient. Indeed, resilience means bouncing back and putting your best foot forward in the gravest of circumstances, showing strength when things are against you: to be happy despite the odds. Keeping this aspect of resilience in mind, this essay is interested in broaching a more specific question: what happens when a structurally marginalised group is called resilient—when value of the group is solely located in its capacity to bounce back and remain within and not resist status-quo? The structurally marginalised group I will be referring to is the hijra community in India and I will discuss the idea of happiness in a video produced by Y films, the youth division of one of India’s biggest film production houses: Yash Raj films. The music video produced in 2016 is named ‘Hum Hain Happy (We are happy)’, a Hindi rendition of Pharrell William’s famous song of the same name, features six hijra community members from the city of Mumbai. The essay here offers a ‘friendly critique’ of the video’s efforts towards mainstreaming trans inclusion in representational practices which romanticise the struggle of the marginalised by valorising resilience as an inspirational response to systemic inequality. My critique, thus, does not invalidate representational practices in total but calls for looking at the dominant logics through which such representation is rendered possible. In so doing, I look at how the video’s narrative serves to quell collective resistance by translating individual resilience within status quo as happiness. On one hand, the makers of the video see the oppressed as valuable and respectable only in term of their resilient happiness and relatedly, by pedestalising this resilience as inspirational, essentialise/naturalise systemic inequalities and conditions of struggle. Anything that deters from this pedestal then is naturally seen as a negative response and not aspirational/inspirational. The essay first contextualises the video in the contemporary conditions of transgender rights in India and then proceeds to analyse its content regarding the narrative of resilience which obscures the conditions of transgender struggles in India, while elevating their positive attitude as inspirational, effectively obscuring the realities and possibilities of righteous rage and resistance.

Saudi Vision for a Happy City

Launched in 2016 to bring wellbeing to its citizens through the diversification of its economy, Saudi Arabia has gained much appreciation with its Saudi Vision 2030. Among its themes, the vision includes the 'A Vibrant Society' which aims to facilitate happy and fulfilling lives through the development of livable cities. The goal is to have three cities among the top 100 livable cities in the world. Riyadh is the nation’s capital and biggest city. It represents Saudi Arabia as a whole and as such, is a promising candidate to be one of Saudi’s most livable cities. This article argues that the vision for Riyadh should facilitate a ‘vibrant society’ comprised of happy citizens. To further our understanding of ‘happiness’, we focused on the ‘Vision for Riyadh city’ in the ‘Quality of Life Program’, which was developed as part of the ‘Vibrant Society Theme’ under the Saudi Vision 2030. It was compared with design proposals by architecture students from Prince Sultan University for urban spaces in Riyadh made between 2016-2019. Our analysis clarifies the extent to which the students’ vision for the city resonated with the administrative plans for Riyadh. Similarities between the visions reveal that the Saudi Vision 2030 is aligned with the students’ preferences and the views of citizens, while differences indicate the need for a more collaborative approach to developing Riyadh’s city vision; one in which students can play a vital role along with their professors and city administrators to ensure the development of a harmonious and ‘happy’ city.