I’m Happy; Hope You’re Happy Too. Individual and Collective Attributions of Subjective Well-Being

While most empirical studies show stable and high levels of subjective well-being in Western societies, other studies have documented an apparently contradictory feeling of a loss of sense of community. Based on an analysis of the Social Cohesion Indicators survey (SCIF, Belgium), we demonstrate that subjective well-being and one’s view on society are two distinct concepts. Both measurements are related, however, with some spill-over effects from individual well-being toward the assessment of society. Most notably, ethnocentrism does not have an impact on subjective well-being, but it has a strong negative impact on the view on society. We hypothesize that ethnocentric actors might still be satisfied with their own living conditions, but that they feel alienated from the increasingly culturally diverse society they live in.status: publishe