Toward a Gross Community Happiness Establishing Taiwan Happiness Index

Shyhnan Liou Institute of Creative Industries

Design, NCKU Tainan, Taiwan

Shyhnan@mail.ncku.edu.tw

Yu Pei, Tsai Institute of Creative Industries

Design, NCKU Tainan, Taiwan

pa8011050@mail.ncku.edu.tw

Yi Hsuan, Lee Institute of Creative Industries

Design, NCKU Tainan, Taiwan

pa6001091@mail.ncku.edu.tw

Abstract—this research proposal aims to construct a community based model of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and design empirically tests in a university, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). The project is an initial program for the mission to develop GNH in Taiwan; therefore, drawn on the proposed model, we will extent the NCKU specific model of GNH to larger scale community like city and then nation.

Index Terms—Gross National Happiness; community based research; Taiwan culture.

I. INTRODUCTION We conceptualize GNH as ultimate goal of developing

humanity technology and treating happiness as a socioeconomic development metric. The metrics measure socioeconomic development by tracking multiple development areas including the nation's mental and emotional health.

Figure 1. The nine domains and 33 indicators of the GNH.(Source: World

Happiness Report, 2012)

Objective

This study aims to construct a community ‐ specific model of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and design empirically tests in a university, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). The project is an initial program for the

mission to develop GNH in Taiwan; therefore, drawn on the developed model, we will extent the NCKU specific model to larger scale community like city and then nation. Background

To promote and apply GNH to university like NCKU, we first identify the community specific characteristics according the (university) life culture. Thus, with the core value of GNH for pursuing happiness, we revised the nine dimensions of GNH and construct an appropriate model for university GNH with literature review of research in Happiness Science and Quality of Life. Meanwhile, by using the method of Community Based Action Research (CBAR) developed by Peter Seng at Organizational Learning Center at MIT (Senge, 2006), we explore the community by focus group interview with the community members for more ecological validity of the field. The Figure 2 shows the generic framework of the research proposal.

Drawn on the exploration research both from theory building and field study, we then develop a model of NCKU‐GNH with specified dimensions for empirical measure. At the confirmatory stage, we will conduct the survey to assess NCKU members’ subjective happiness with the model, and also archive analysis for the objective measures of NCKU community.(Figure 3)

The survey results contribute the community stakeholders for enhance the awareness and conceptualize how and why they are happy and then develop strategies for improvement. Besides, the expected result of the model should be the initial step and infrastructure for our center to better development of GNH of city (Tainan) or nation (Taiwan) or Asian.

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Figure 2. The generic framework of the research

II. ESTABLISH TAIWAN’S HAPPINESS INDEX RESEARCH Recently, many world organizations and important

countries had made a lot of progress on happiness index relative policies. Progress including the appeal of United National General Assembly and the Council of European Union, Your Better Life Index of OEDC, survey result of Happiness Index in Britain, the SWB evaluation adopted by British and Australian Ministry of Finance, American National Prevention Strategy, happiness survey and governmental index of Japan, Mental Health Month and Community Indicators of Happiness in Australia, and the special articles in Nature. Since 2011, Chinese society such as Taiwan, China and Macao had all made quit a progress on establishing happiness index or relative policies.

In Taiwan, the CEPD focuses on the latest international progress of establishing ‘GNH Index’; DGBAS for the first time included happiness index into the main analysis of annual statistical yearbook; the Department of Health has been planning ‘4-Year-Midterm Plan of National Mental Health Promotion’ actively; and Academia Sinica had published Opportunities and Challenges of Building a Happy and Well-being Society on Both Sides of the Taiwan Strait in the seminar. In China, the ‘Target Allocation Methodology for Provinces from 2011-2015’had been including the happiness index; NPC and CPPCC started sketching the expectation of ‘Happy China’; Guangdong firstly established a happiness index system in ‘province level’ and set up the goal of ‘Happy Guangdong’; CCTV2011 Economic Life Survey has expended; Hangzhou and Shijiazhuang was elected as the happiest city; the enhancement and promotion of national psychological quality during the Target Allocation Methodology for Provinces from 2011-2015. Also, Macao had announced the survey result of happiness index and relative policy suggestions.

Recently in Taiwan, there are several different developments about the research and establishment of happiness index. In 2006, CEPD once consigned Research Center for Humanities and Social Science to conduct ‘the compilation method and empirical analysis of GNH (Gross National Happiness)’. That project was proceeding through telephone interview in order to understand Taiwanese people’s subjective well-being and all positive and negative factors that influences. Chia-Feng Chen and others (2010) was consigned by DOH to conduct a two-year research across 25 counties and cities about mental health administrative planning. They

tried to establish a happiness index that covers eight main levels of society, economy, public order, job, community, education, family, individual and etc.; also, to predict people’s level of happiness based on 128 relative social indexes of 23 counties and cities.

The above recent evolutions are the keys for Taiwan to develop ‘GNH Index’. Therefore, we had reviewed the experience of relative researches and proposed a few feasible points followed:

Learning from International Experiences. To collect information from foreign government units

and social and academic organizations in response to the goal of national development and relative promoting strategies, in order to establish national happiness index. The basic notion of this research believes that the meaning of national happiness index is to reflect the developing objective of a nation. The index could be applied as the direction of governmental promoting strategy and its achievement. Therefore, the development of happiness index should start from the viewpoint of social national developing objective and promoting strategy. This research plan learning and integrates from the experiences of developed countries, analyze from their strategic goal and action plan and learn from the reliability and validity of their happiness index. Development of Taiwanese Model

The analysis of the national developing objective of Taiwan and the definition particular background of national politics, economy and social culture should be done first. According to the above international practice experiences and academic based theoretical models, the ‘strategic program—happiness index’ model is adopted to compare Taiwan’s present happiness related strategic goals and action plans. Further to develop and establish the happiness index that is suitable for Taiwan.

Criteria for selecting indicators

We will also follow the criteria proposed from World Happiness Report (2012) as shown below. 1. All the indicators have to reflect the normative values of

GNH, They also reflect the normative values that are embedded in the culture and traditions of Taiwan.

2. Relates to their statistical properties; each indicator was analyzed extensively to ensure robustness.

3. Accurately reflect how happiness is increasing or evolving in different regions over time and among different groups accurately.

4. Be relevant for public action – although government policy is by no means the only way of increasing GNH. Many domains of GNH can be facilitated by appropriate government policies and by government policies that create incentives for businesses, NGOs and citizens to support GNH in its many dimensions.

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5. Have to be understandable as far as possible by ordinary citizens. They have to reflect and relate to people’s own experiences in their own lives, so that the GNH Index would not only be a policy tool but would also be something that people could use to imagine the many different ways of being happy in the Taiwanese context.

Guideline for GNH measurement in Taiwan learned from OECD

Drawn on “your better life” developed of OECD, we should follow the guideline below proposed by OECD (2012) to develop measures for Taiwan. 1. Concept and validity - setting out the rationale for

national statistical agencies producing subjective well-being data, and including a brief overview of the policy uses of such measures. The validity, reliability and limitations of subjective well-being measures will also be addressed.

2. Methodological issues - summarizing available evidence on how survey methodology can affect subjective well-being measures and the implications for good measurement practice, with a particular focus on mitigating the effects of various sources of bias. This will include consideration of question wording, scale formats and labeling, question placement within the survey, question order, response styles, survey mode, and the wider study context.

3. A measurement approach - outlining an over-arching strategy for the measurement of subjective wellbeing, in both household surveys and in more detailed time-use studies. This will cover the range of concepts that should be measured and the choice of survey vehicles for measuring them, as well as issues of sample design and the most appropriate variables to collect alongside subjective well-being data. Specific suites of measures will also be proposed, including short headline questions for national surveys and international comparisons, and a more comprehensive suite of questions suitable for examining the different aspects of subjective well-being in more depth.

4. Output and analysis - providing guidelines for the release and use of subjective well-being data. This will revisit the policy and broader public interest in the data, before covering how information can be reported and analyzed – including both presentation of headline indicators, and a more detailed treatment of the use of subjective well-being data in policy design, development and evaluation.

Program of Practice

The practice of establishing happiness index relies on all kinds of measuring tools and data required. Objective indexes such as education distribution and wage level should be considered whether associate units could help obtaining comprehensive data. Similarly, subjective index like individual subjective well-being and social life satisfaction should establish and collect samples with differentiability and

representative. Except responding the understanding towards facts reflected by the index score with strategic programs, it is necessary to find suitable country as comparing norm for happiness index establishment in order to explain the reflected fact.

The Development and Promoting Strategy of Orange Technology.

We reflect on the civilization established on technological progress in history. With the engine of Capitalism market, more choices and living tools are provided to people, especially the increasing wealth of classical economics. However, the general phenomenon shows that people do not sense more living quality enhancement and spiritual happiness. The rising of orange technology is a more comprehensive technological mission under the consideration of serving people’s the pursuit of happiness and value. Orange technology is to put effort on returning to original starting point: how technological develop could improve the happiness of people’s life.

We discuss about the convenience brought by technology in the past, and the following socio-psychological problems, troubles caused by excessive choices and status anxiety brought by social comparison. Technology intoxicated had twisted the service function of technology. The above issues all lack technological humanities, happiness and caring. Happiness is decided by various elements either subjective or objective. Of course, discussing happiness technology does not necessary to respond with technological product or service. Happiness technology emphasizes more on the repositioning and clarification of technological purpose. As happiness includes individual’s economy, health, social living, and environment, etc.; happiness technology includes health technology, environment technology, and living technology that enhances living quality. The above statement clearly presents the pursuit and basic idea of orange technology, which is happiness technology. Orange technology values health, happiness and caring, also highlights the connection among them. Overall, it’s a more comprehensive technological mission.

The enhancement and strengthening of achieving happiness index should be actively involved through the development of orange technology after establishing happiness index model and measurement. Orange technology is the technological development mission promoting caring, happiness and health based on humanism. This research proposed practical specific strategy of orange technology on the cross-disciplinary research and development of industry, science, technology, education, economy and religion. These strategies that focus on happiness elevation could be used as policy tools pursuing happiness index by the government or associate units.

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Figure 3. program for developing GCH III. Future Development

The proposed project for future development of GCH to

GNH in Taiwan, we will process first by identifying the indicators and contextualizing with Taiwan cultural- specific and global generalization. We then theorize the strategic actions which can achieve these indicators as means-ends analysis in which identifies the contribution the orange technology will provide. Followed an empirical verification of the proposed indicator and strategic solution mentioned above, we will proposed a model of GNH that fit Taiwan community and promotion plan for the government. 1. First, we identify the indicators and contextualizing with

Taiwan cultural- specific and global generalization.

2. With the indicators, we then theorize the strategic policy and action plans which can achieve these indicators as means-ends analysis. We also identify the goal that the orange technology developed in this meta- project can contribute.

3. An empirical verification of the proposed indicator and strategic solution mentioned above by community based action research method will be conducted. Then we will propose a model of GNH that fit Taiwan community and promotion plan for the government.

4. During the process, this project should be highly interacting with other subproject for validating the desired contribution as providing the marketing and evaluation of other project performance. We will also be continuing collaborate with the frontier institute studying GNH and take the role as one of the leading institute of happiness science with technology driven.

REFFERENCE

[1] Helliwell, J., R. Layard and J. Sachs.World Happiness Report, 2012

(references) [2] I.S. Jacobs and C.P. Bean, “Fine particles, thin films and exchange

anisotropy,” in Magnetism, vol. III, G.T. Rado and H. Suhl, Eds. New York: Academic, 1963, pp. 271-350.

[3] OECD (2011) Better Life Index: Community [4] OECD (2012) OECD Yearbook 2012: Better Policies for Better Lives. [5] Senge,P.M.and C.O.Scharmer."Community Action Research: Learning

as a Community of Practitioners, Consultants and Researchers." Handbook of Action Research: Concise Paperback Edition, (2006): 195-206

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