**3.7 Theme 7: the role of faith and religious involvement**

Overall, the responses suggest that structural elements of Fijian society, particularly those elements that exist within rural areas, are an important basis for individual well-being and happiness. One example is the strong foundation and involvement in organized religion and religious teachings, beyond individual spirituality (PIM5, IFF6, IFM5). This facet was evident in responses such as: "*I'm actually fortunate to be in that (church) group because it made me the person with moral values. I was able to judge what is right and what is wrong…And I made good decisions."* (IFF6). Further, some respondents asserted that religious faith leads to a sense that '*God is in control*' of one's overall circumstances and future. This type of response brings a sense of security and stability to the believer, which may then allow the individual to find acceptance and contentment in their own circumstances or challenges. This may also be used as a coping mechanism to restore a sense of well-being when faced with trauma or difficulties. One respondent observes, "*knowing that god is in control and I don't have to really worry about things. That's why I'm joyful most of the days ...no matter what happens it will happen for the good*" (IFM5). Additionally, *"if you are grounded in your spirituality and relationship with God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, he will see that you get through and as long as you have Him you will be okay."* (IFM5).

Religious involvement and community set-up are both tied to an inherent value placed by respondents on living according to discipline, rules, and social norms. Joshanloo [13, 48] gives a general discussion of happiness in non-Western cohorts as less agentic or something that can or should be actively pursued. This is somewhat in contrast to the global quantitative data analyzed by Haller and Hadler [59] which indicates that globally, happiness is associated with greater personal freedoms and agency. The Fijian sample again showed a mixture of both of these views. Particularly among the I-Taukei men, finding happiness was tied to living in accordance with religious teachings, as well as traditional social structures and rules. Further, this cohort believed that happiness came from putting faith in God as being in control. However, Fijian respondents also declared that happiness needed to be actively created by the self, as analyzed in Themes three and four.

*Understanding Happiness in the Pacific Islands: A Qualitative Study with University Staff in Fiji DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106771*

### **3.8 Theme 8: happiness tied to traditional living, environment and identity**

Another macro-level element that underlies the Fijian concept of happiness is the community setup of housing, particularly in rural village communities. Many respondents had experience living in a rural setting, despite their current dwelling being in an urban setting. Several respondents made reference to their perceptions of greater happiness experienced by rural village-dwelling Fijians compared to those in the modern urban areas (IFM4, PIF4, PIF5). According to one respondent, *"I think it's the sharing and caring nature that is part of the upbringing because … the land belongs to everybody, if you are passing by it's just natural to say 'hey come and have a cup of tea', it doesn't mean that you have to go there, it doesn't mean that that person will come over…That's the way they're brought up…only recently you see fences (around homes) coming up, but always (before) there would be no fences, everyone is allowed everywhere so it's not like this is mine."* (IFM4). In another response, "*a communal way of living and communal ownership I will say is a lot of happiness. Just to share and to know … that if something happened you could pull your resources together to help each other*." (PIF5).

The historic practical necessity to share resources and depend on each other when living in remote, subsistence-based villages has effectively evolved into a perceived prosocial trait of sharing and connection that underlies the experience of happiness. Aknin et al. [60] asserted that all humans derive emotional benefit from prosocial spending and giving financially to others. In the context of rural Fiji, the idea of sharing resources, purchasing food for others, and giving back financially to the village is embedded in the social fabric, and is even made necessary by the remote geographies of some of the villages. This is an example of how the positive well-being and happiness of Fijians is embedded within the practical and traditional aspects of Fijian rural living.

There is a societal construct in Fiji known as *Vanua*. This is the concept of *home* which encompasses both extended family and the land itself and is a fundamental element of how Fijians self-identify. While *Vanua* is an I-Taukei word and stems from the indigenous Fijian history, the sense of identification with the land was evident among responses from both the I-Taukei and the Indo-Fijian study participants (IFF3, IFF5, PIM5, PIM4). This may be due to both ethnic groups having a history within Fiji of residing in rural, farming or fishing villages. In this way, happiness is derived from a connection with the land both as a resource and therefore, provider of security, and also as an entity that has shaped the ability to accept and be content with what one has. This is described by one respondent, "*we have realised that we are living in this smaller part of the world and this is what is going to facilitate and provide us with our needs. And to some extent with our wants as well… Of course, people at times get aggressive about land issues, but then the extent of conflict doesn't go to wars and blood and all that so people still … know this is what we have and let's make the best of it*." (IFF3). The notion within the Fijian understanding that happiness is, in part, tied to the land is also reflected in Theme 1 with regards to happiness as coming from meeting basic needs and simple, everyday occurrences. Within Theme 1, a number of respondents made reference to enjoyment as associated with the land. In those responses were mention of gardening and growing food (PIM7), the weather (IFM2), walking and exploring the land around the community (IFM4), and owning land in a location that would bring happiness (e.g. by the beach: PIM1).
