Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Flourishing within the Working-Aged Finnish Population

  • Published:
Applied Research in Quality of Life Aims and scope Submit manuscript

A Correction to this article was published on 23 November 2018

This article has been updated

Abstract

Over the years, sociologists and psychologists have defined different concepts to capture a person’s subjective world, e.g. quality of life, subjective well-being, satisfaction with life, and happiness. The concept of flourishing is a novel addition to this list, and not many measure its existence. Ed Diener’s Flourishing Scale was used with working-aged Finns (n = 1886) to answer three research questions: 1) what is the level of flourishing in different age-groups, 2) how does flourishing relate to living circumstances and 3) how does flourishing relate to other measures of happiness and subjective well-being? The results show that the profile of flourishing at different ages corresponds with other subjective indicators. We found emotional, psychological, and social well-being to be important domains of flourishing. The effect of social life, at different stages of aging, on flourishing, is stronger than the effect of chronological age.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Change history

  • 23 November 2018

    Figure��1 image of the original version contained a mistake by having two charts with the same data.

References

  • Airio, I. (2013). Toimeentuloturvan verkkoa kokemassa [Lifting up the fishnet of income security]. Teemakirja 9. Helsinki: Kelan tutkimusosasto.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allardt, E. (1976). Hyvinvoinnin ulottuvuuksia [Dimensions of well-being]. Porvoo: WSOY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, F. M., & Withey, S. B. (1976). Social indicators of well-being. Americans perceptions of life quality. New York: Plenum Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Baptista, A., Camilo, C., Santos, I., Brites, J., Brites Rosa, J., & Fernández-Abascal, E.-G. (2016). What are people saying when they report they are happy or life satisfied. Anales de Psicología / Annals of Psychology, 32(3), 803–809. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.32.3.229121 Available at: http://revistas.um.es/analesps/article/view/analesps.32.3.229121. Accessed 3 Nov 2017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cantril, H. (1965). The pattern of human concerns. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: the psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummins, R. A., Eckersley, R., Pallant, J., Van Vugt, J., & Misajon, R. (2003). Developing a national index of subjective well-being: the Australian Unity well-being index. Social Indicators Research, 64(2), 159–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E. (2005). Guidelines for national indicators of subjective well-being and ill-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 7(4), 397–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Wirtz, D., Tov, W., Kim-Prieto, C., Choi, D. W., Oishi, S., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2010). New well-being measures: short scales to assess flourishing and positive and negative feelings. Social Indicators Research, 97(2), 143–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eriksson, M., & Lindström, B. (2007). Antonovsky’s sense of coherence scale and its relation with quality of life: a systematic review. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 61(11), 938–944.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Headey, B., & Wearing, A. (1992). Understanding happiness. A theory of subjective well-being. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helliwell, J. F., Huang, H., & Wang, S. (2017). Social foundations of world happiness. In J. Helliwell, R. Layard, & J. Sachs (Eds.), World happiness report 2017. New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hone, L. C., Jarden, A., Schofield, G. M., & Duncan, S. (2014). Measuring flourishing: the impact of operational definitions on the prevalence of high levels of wellbeing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 4(1), 62–90. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v4i1.4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huppert, F. A., & So, T. C. (2013). Flourishing across Europe: application of a new conceptual framework for defining well-being. Social Indicators Research, 110(3), 837–861.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ilmarinen, J. (2000). Työikäiset ja elämänkulku [Life course of working aged]. Teoksessa Eino Heikkinen & Jouni Tuomi (Toim.) Suomalainen elämänkulku [Life course of Finns]. Helsinki: Tammi.

  • International Well-being Group (2013). Personal Well-being Index: 5th Edition. Melbourne: Australian Centre on Quality of Life, Deakin University. http://www.deakin.edu.au/research/acqol/instruments/well-being-index/index.php

    Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, S. (1970). Om levnadsnivåundersökningen. Stockholm: Göteborgs Offsettryckeri AB.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jylhä, M., Leskinen, E., Alanen, E., Leskinen, A.-L., & Heikkinen, E. (1986). Self-rated health and associated factors among men of different ages. Journal of Gerontology, 41(6), 710–717. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronj/41.6.710.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kainulainen, S. (1998) Elämäntapahtumat ja elämään tyytyväisyys eri sosiaaliluokissa [Life events and satisfaction with life in different social classes]. Kuopion yliopiston julkaisuja E. Yhteiskuntatieteet 62. Kuopio.

  • Kainulainen, S. (2016). Työelämä kukoistuksen näyttämönä [Working life as a stage of flourishing]. In A. Mutanen & M. Kantola & H. Kotila & L. Vanhanen-Nuutinen (Eds.) Hyvä elämä. Käytäntö, tutkimus ja ammattipedagogiikka [Good life. Praxis, research and occupational pedagogy]. Turun ammattikorkeakoulun tutkimuksia 44, 213–227.

  • Kainulainen, S., Saari, J., & Veenhoven, R. (2018). ‘Life-satisfaction is more a matter of feeling well than having what you want. Tests of Veenhoven’s theory’. International Journal of Happiness and Development, 4(3), 209–235. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJHD.2018.10014874.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keyes, C. L. M. (2002). The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing in life. Journal of Health and Social Research, 43(2), 207–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keyes, C. L. M. (2005). Mental illness and/or mental health? Investigating axioms of the complete state model of health [Research support, Non-U.S. Gov't]. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73(3), 539–548. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.73.3.539.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keyes, C. L. M., & Westerhof, G. J. (2012). Chronological and subjective age differences in flourishing mental health and major depressive episode. Ageing & Mental Health., 16(1), 67–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koskiaho, B. (1969). Elintason osatekijöiden kasautumisesta ja elintasoon vaikuttavista tekijöistä Länsi-Euroopassa [Standard of living in Western Europe: accumulation and predictors] (Ser. A, vol. 30). Tampere: Acta Universitatis Tamperensis.

  • Lehtinen, V. (2000). Mielenterveyttä ikä kaikki [Mental health through the life course]. Teoksessa Eino Heikkinen & Jouni Tuomi (Toim.) Suomalainen elämänkulku [Life course of Finns]. Helsinki: Tammi.

  • Mäkelä, J. (1996). Menneisyyden nykyisyys. Kvalitatiivisen ja kvantitatiivisen tuolla puolen [Modernity of history. Beyond qualitative and qantitative]. Acta Universitatis Lapponiensis 13. Rovaniemi: Lapin yliopistopaino.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martelin, T., Pitkänen, K., Koskinen, S. (2000). Suomalaisten väestöllinen elämänkulku: tilastoja ja tarinoita [Life course of Finnish population: statistics and stories]. Teoksessa Eino Heikkinen & Jouni Tuomi (Toim.) Suomalainen elämänkulku [Life course of Finns]. Helsinki: Tammi.

  • Michalos, A. C. (2015). Ancient views on the quality of life. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Michalos, A. C., Smale, B., Labonté, R., Muharjarine, N., Scott, K., Moore, K., Swystun, L., Holden, B., Bernardin, H., Dunning, B., Graham, P., Guhn, M., Gadermann, A. M., Zumbo, B. D., Morgan, A., Brooker, A.-S., & Hyman, I. (2011). The Canadian index of well-being. Technical Report 1.0. Waterloo: Canadian Index of Well-being and University of Waterloo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Momtaz, Y. A., Hamid, T. A., Haron, S. A., & Bagat, M. F. (2016). Flourishing in later life. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 63, 85–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moser, C., & Kalton, G. (1985). Survey methods in social investigation. Hants: Gower.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nurmi, J.-E., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2000). Ihmisen psykologinen kehitys ja elämänkulku [Psychological growth and life course of a human being]. Teoksessa Eino Heikkinen & Jouni Tuomi (Toim.) Suomalainen elämänkulku [Life course of Finns]. Helsinki: Tammi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone. New York: Simon & Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. The American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryff, C. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6), 1069–1081.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. (1998). The contours of positive human health. Psychological Inquiry, 9, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli0901_1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santos, H. C., Varnum, M. E. W., & Grossmann, I. (2017). Global increases in individualism. Psychological Science, 28(9), 1228–1239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Authentic happiness: using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, W., & Znaniecki, F. (1974). The Polish peasant in Europe and America. New York: Octacon Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaarama, M., Siljander, E., Luoma, M-L., Meriläinen, S. (2010). Suomalaisten elämänlaatu nuoruudesta vanhuuteen [Quality of life from adolescent to elderly in Finland]. In: M. Vaarama, P. Moisio & S. Karvonen (Eds.) Suomalaisten hyvinvointi [Well-being of Finns]. 2010, 126–149.

  • Veenhoven, R. (1996). Developments in satisfaction-research. Social Indicators Research, 37(1), 1–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2009). How do we assess how happy we are? In A. K. Dutt & B. Radcliff (Eds.), Happiness, economics and politics: towards a multi-disciplinary approach (pp. 45–69). Cheltenham: Edward Elger Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2015). Social conditions for human happiness: a review of research. International Journal of Psychology, 50(5), 379–391. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This research was supported by the Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland (decision number: 293103).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sakari Kainulainen.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The original version of this article was revised: Figure 1 image of the original version contained a mistake by having two charts with the same data. The correct Figure 1 image is loaded in this version.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Table 6 Google scholar-search (in thousand)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kainulainen, S. Flourishing within the Working-Aged Finnish Population. Applied Research Quality Life 15, 187–205 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-018-9671-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-018-9671-7

Keywords

Navigation