Fábio Nogueira Pereira

Close Relationships and Happiness in South America

The Latin American population presents a challenge to the scientific investigation of happiness. To study happiness in Latin America, factors such as an overall presence of economic hardship and other economically relevant factors must be considered. This chapter discusses how close relationships and happiness in South American populations are related by reviewing recent studies. Happiness in South America has been associated with many variables, especially close relationships, which are defined within the literature as romantic or marital relationships, family relationships, and friendships. Social-relational factors, including close relationships, are mentioned as relevant determinants of happiness in the region. In future research, sociological, economic, and psychological approaches, including diverse theoretical frameworks and methodological procedures, could contribute to a better understanding of how close relationships and happiness are connected.

Friendship and Happiness in Latin America: A Review

This chapter summarizes the recent Latin American literature on friendship and its relations to happiness and related topics such as subjective well-being and quality of life. Although the investigation of the topic is limited in the continent, one can conclude, based on the available studies, that friendship is perceived to be a source of happiness among individuals in Latin America. Two points should be highlighted. First, the diversity of concepts and measures used to assess friendship and happiness across studies makes it difficult to compare data from different studies. Second, studies are sometimes guided by theory but are rarely an attempt to replicate findings obtained in other cultures. An agenda for future research is provided such as increasing international cooperation efforts aiming at using similar methods and constructs (e.g., similar definitions of friendship) to help to create a common ground, and developing measures sensitive to the cultural context when investigating friendship and happiness.