engleski

The social contextualization of life goals and its implications for well-being

When discussing ways towards happy and meaningful life, people usually talk about their life goals and wishes for the future. Life goals can be classified based on their content into intrinsic goals (such as personal growth and affiliation) and extrinsic goals (like wealth and fame). Placing more importance on intrinsic goals contributes to happiness, whereas striving for extrinsic goals is associated with lower well- being. Extrinsic goals are assumed to be strongly shaped by culture, while intrinsic goals are assumed to emerge from natural growth tendencies. Life aspirations partly reflect the cultural and economic systems in which people live. According to Inglehart's theory of post-materialism, people pursue various goals in a hierarchical order: people strive for freedom and autonomy only after they meet survival needs. In scarce times, materialistic goals have priority over post- materialistic goals, focused on self-expression and quality of life. Different kinds of threats prompt the shift from intrinsic towards extrinsic goals (mostly materialistic). There was a sharp decline in happiness in Eastern Europe during the first years of the transition to market-based economy. Economic changes not only increased unemployment, social inequalities and corruption, but also generated social and political changes. Research from Croatia and other, less rich countries has shown that extrinsic aspirations are positively related to well-being. Financial success in these countries is related with attaining security and independence, not only with achieving materialistic status. In poorer countries, financial success is closer to safety/health goals and farther from hedonism than in wealthier countries.

Life goals ; intrinsic goals ; extrinsic goals ; well-being ; culture

nije evidentirano