The Laboratory for Comparative Social Research announces the next regular seminar, which will be held as a zoom session on November, 28th, at 02:30 p.m. CET (04:30 p.m. Moscow time, GMT+3). Francisco Olivos (Assistant Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, Lingnan University, Hong Kong) will deliver a report "Beliefs in Context: The Implications of Culture-Structure Alignment for Well-being". To participate, please, register via the link. 

Abstract

This project investigates how alignment between individual beliefs and broader social structures influences subjective well-being, focusing on gender, political, and religious systems. We examine the implications of congruence between (1) public and personal culture and (2) objective social structures and personal beliefs for life satisfaction across different societies. Our analysis, drawing on data from the joint EVS/WVS 2017-2022, is structured into three studies that explore these dynamics within gender, political, and religious systems. Results indicate that individuals whose personal beliefs align with societal culture experience higher life satisfaction. Additionally, the influence of objective conditions on well-being is small or mediated by this cultural alignment. This project emphasizes the need to address both cross-cultural and within-culture variations in happiness research. Our work offers a nuanced perspective on how cultural differences affect subjective well-being, pushing beyond traditional models to illustrate the dynamic interplay between personal culture and societal structures. 

Everyone interested is invited!
Working language is English.