Uchida, Y., Norasakkunkit, V., &Kitayama, S. (2004). Cultural constructions of happiness: theory and emprical evidence. Journal of happiness studies, 5(3), 223-239.
In a review of recent cross-cultural evidence on happiness and well-being, the authors identified substantial cultural variations in (1) cultural meanings of happiness, (2) motivations underlying happiness, and (3) predictors of happiness. Specifically, in North American cultural contexts, happiness tends to be defined in terms of personal achievement. Individuals engaging in these cultures are motivated to maximize the experience of positive affect. Moreover, happiness is ...