Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000–000 Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 30 (2011) 2050 – 2051
Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
WCPCG-2011
Effects of economic and non economic factors on happiness on primary school teachers and Urmia University professors Sajad Habibzadeha , Khalil Allahvirdiyani b 1
a
Applied Science and Technology University, Mianeh Branch, Mianeh, Iran b Allameh Tabatabaii University, Dehkade Olympic, Tehran, Iran
Abstract This thesis is looking for effects of economic and non economic factors on happiness on primary school teachers and Urmia University professors. Therefore, this study in terms of controlling conditions of research is survey and in terms of time is crosssectional and in terms of purpose is applicable .The sample is consisted of 313 individuals (81 university professors and 232 elementary school teachers) of the statistical population of professors and teachers (1689 people) whom were surveyed by random classification method. Search tools include Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and demographic Questionnaire, including individual and job characteristics. In this study, the correlation coefficients and parametric and non parametric tests were used and the results showed that age, Marital status, Education level and income groups of people with their happiness, there is no significant relationship but between Economic security, Job satisfaction, Balance of earning and spending, number of domestic and foreign trips during the year and gender of people there is a significant relationship. In comparisons between two groups of professors and teachers, the mean difference score between professors and teachers job satisfaction and income aspiration was significant. Keywords: economic and non economic factors, happiness, primary school teachers
1. Introduction Happiness is a very important matter from the viewpoint of psychologists and sociologists. Recently, psychological researches about happiness have found a very tight relationship with economy (Argyl & Hills, 2010). The essential question in this matter is that which factors happiness is dependent on? Research on happiness has attracted a lot of attention in social sciences (Bedi & Brown, 2005). The important mental trait which a healthy person should have is the feeling of welfare which is defined as follows: a positive and satisfactory feeling which includes the person and the others. The happier the people, the more safety they feel (Bongiea ,2008). Happy people have a high level mental and physical health and will succeed more in their lives (De Ridder & Bensing , 2007). Methods The statistical populations of this research are all the professors of Public and Azad universities of Orumieh and also teachers of regions 1 and 2 of this city. The number of teachers of elementary school in Orumieh is 1253 and 1 - Khalil Allahvirdiyani, tel: +989149180198 Email:
[email protected]
1877-0428 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the 2nd World Conference on Psychology, Counselling and Guidance. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.397
Sajad Habibzadeh and Khalil Allahvirdiyani / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 30 (2011) 2050 – 2051 Akbar Mohammadi et al ./ Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 00( 2011) 000–000
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the number of university professors is 436 so the number of population would be 1689. The sample volume in this study was selected via a random method and proportional to the cluster volume (pps) and is 313. Discussion Teachers and professors spend their costs primarily on loan, food, clothes, other costs and finally transportation. The average of happiness of these people was obtained 57.91 with standard deviation of 12.93 and the minimum and maximum of happiness was also obtained 16.09 and 96.55, respectively. There was no meaningful relationship between the factors (age, marital status, education, income groups) with happiness. Whereas there was a meaningful relationship among sexuality, economical safety and job satisfaction and also number of national and international travels with happiness. We could reach to a result about the absence of a relationship between income and happiness which was also reported by other researchers such as Diner (2009) Mayers (2000) and Sterlin (2001). There was no meaningful correlation between marital status and happiness while in previous researches it was observed that married people are happier than singles (Diner & Tov 2005). According to the results, job satisfaction affects the level of happiness. In Klark study (1994). the result indicated its little effect on happiness , in this study a meaningful relationship between education level and happiness of teachers and professors was not observed (Hills & Argyle 2008). There was also no meaningful correlation between the age of people and their level of happiness. Since the age of the people in this study was higher than 42 which are in the middle-age period, thus their relationship would be very weak. Diner mentioned an equal level of happiness for men and women. Wood (1989) reported a slightly higher level of happiness for women as compared to men. As we know, the sources of happiness for men and women are different. The happiness for women is more influenced by their family and children but for men it is affected by their job and income Karademas & Evangelos (2010 ). Maybe one of the reasons of lower level of happiness for women in this study is the inclement conditions of families and the other reason could be limitations for women in our country. Economical safety increase the level of happiness leading to a social stability. Lucas,Klark, Georgellis & Diner.(2010). . This is the new finding of ILO report. In this research, economical research was the most important variable affecting the happiness level of teachers and professors. Recreation and how to spend the free time is also one of the sources of happiness which has mental, physical, social and cultural aspects. In a research by Neshatdoost (2009), the positive effect of traveling on happiness was proved. With comparing two groups of teachers and professors, one can conclude that the difference in ideal income scores and job satisfaction is two meaningful groups. In this study it was observed that the average level of happiness and income of professors are slightly higher than teachers. Women feel a lower level of safety as compared to men Maddux (2010). References Argyl ,M.&Hills,P(2010).Religious Experinces and their relatron with happiness and personality .The International Jounrnal for the psychology of Religion vol (10) ,157-172. Bedi T G&Brown , S.L . (2005) .Optimism ,Coping styl and Emotional Well-Being in cardiac paitient . British Journal of Health Psychology , Vol (10),57-70. Bongiea ,Lee(2008).Alchol-induced stress and social support as influences of the adult substance sbusers health and well-being .University of Pittsburgh ,Degree of Doctor . Carr ,Alan (2009) . 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