Gender & Race and their Roles in Happiness

Kaitlyn E. Jollimore, University of New Hampshire, Durham

Furthermore, marital satisfaction also contributed more to the satisfaction in married black women in comparison to married black men. (Ganey, 1999). Is it that these factors such as race and gender play such large roles in happiness that nothing else matters, or is it that gender and race both carry societal expectations and environmental constructs that promote individuals in minority gender groups or minority race groups to seek happiness from other sources? Are black married women valuing marriage more? Are white men unloving monsters that don’t care about their family? The answer to all of these questions is that happiness is subjective. Subjective well-being relies entirely on an individuals’ preferences, and by examining factors such as gender and race we can better understand the various paths to happiness, as subjective and unique as they may be.

Project Description

Achieving happiness, as discussed in lecture, can bring ultimate contentment with life and overall life satisfaction. However, many different aspects in an individuals’ life can almost pre-determine their perception of happiness or how they go about achieving it. Crucial parts of an individuals’ identity, like gender or race, can influence their subjective well-being greatly, and whether that is positively or negatively, is up to the individual themselves. This paper will explore how gender and race can impact an individual's ability for happiness and their pursuit of happiness, incorporating research on the influence of gender and race on happiness levels and how they shape perceptions and pursuit of happiness.