Role of Individualistic and Collectivistic Orientations in the  Happy Life of Kharwar Adivasi Community

Purnima  Awasthi; Madhurima  Mukherjee; Sanjay  Saxena

doi:10.21844/16202118105

Purnima Awasthi Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Madhurima Mukherjee Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Christ University, Delhi NCR, India
Sanjay Saxena Professor, School of Management Sciences, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21844/16202118105

Keywords: Economy, Individualistic-Collectivistic Orientations, Happy Life, Meaningful Engagements, Social Relationships

Abstract

Following globalization, westernized cultural values, ideas, and practices have rapidly spread. Cultures are in flux, and indigenous communities are not free from the influence of the outside world. In this research, we investigated how the psychological tendencies of indigenous communities might be affected by such socio-cultural changes in a predominantly collectivist nation. A community-based study was conducted with 150 Kharwar Adivasi individuals residing in 10 villages of Naugarh block, Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh. The participants, aged 25-50 years, were given the measures of Individualism-Collectivism Orientations and Happy Life. Using an exploratory factor analysis, a five-factor structure emerged, explaining 57% of the variance in happy life. The results indicated that 59% of the sample had a collectivistic orientation. Individuals with a collectivistic orientation fared better in overall happiness and its sub domains than individuals with an individualistic orientation. It is suggested that even though there is a gradual increase in individualism, for the Adivasi community, happiness is still enhanced by tendencies of interdependence. The findings have important implications for understanding the happiness of the under-researched Adivasi population.