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Family Functioning and Life Satisfaction and Happiness in South African Households

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  • Ferdi Botha
  • Frikkie Booysen

Abstract

Families form an integral part of society and in fostering individual well-being. Despite the acknowledged importance of family, the association between family functioning and individual well-being outcomes have remained unexplored in the current body of knowledge. This paper explores the association between family functioning and reported levels of life satisfaction and happiness in South Africa. The paper employs the Family Attachment and Changeability Index (FACI8) to measure family functioning, using data from the 2011 South African Social Attitudes Survey. Four measures of family functioning are utilised, namely the aggregate FACI8 scale, the attachment and changeability sub-scales, and family functioning type. Improvements in the level of family functioning as well as in the levels of attachment and changeability are positively associated with life satisfaction and happiness. In addition, individuals living in midrange or balanced family functioning types are more satisfied with life and happier compared to persons living in extremely or moderately dysfunctional families. The findings highlight the importance of supportive intra-family dynamics in fostering greater individual well-being. This in turn places emphasis on the investigation of likely correlates of family functioning and impact evaluations of family-focused social work interventions’ impact on family functioning as areas for future research. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

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  • Ferdi Botha & Frikkie Booysen, 2014. "Family Functioning and Life Satisfaction and Happiness in South African Households," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 163-182, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:119:y:2014:i:1:p:163-182
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-013-0485-6
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    4. Ferdi Botha & Edwin Wouters & Frikkie Booysen, 2018. "Happiness, Socioeconomic Status, and Family Functioning in South African Households: a Structural Equation Modelling Approach," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 13(4), pages 947-989, December.
    5. Mansi Jain & Gagan Deep Sharma & Mandeep Mahendru, 2019. "Can I Sustain My Happiness? A Review, Critique and Research Agenda for Economics of Happiness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-36, November.
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    7. Alistair Munro, 2018. "Intra†Household Experiments: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 134-175, February.
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    12. Avom, Desire & Yselle Malah, Flora, 2022. "Social media and happiness nexus in the millennial generation," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(8).
    13. Berta Schnettler & Germán Lobos & Edgardo Miranda-Zapata & Marianela Denegri & Gastón Ares & Clementina Hueche, 2017. "Diet Quality and Satisfaction with Life, Family Life, and Food-Related Life across Families: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study with Mother-Father-Adolescent Triads," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-24, October.
    14. Xiaofeng Xu & Qingqing Nie & Wang Liu & E. Scott Huebner & Lili Tian, 2022. "Children’s Life Satisfaction: Developmental Trajectories and Environmental and Personality Predictors," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2805-2826, August.
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    16. Martinique Cordeiro & Prudence Kwenda & Miracle Ntuli, 2020. "Crime and Life Satisfaction: Evidence from South Africa - Gauteng Province," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(3), pages 715-736, July.

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