My Happiness – Design by Me: What Youth Wish to Say and Define for Themselves

Abstract

The purposes of this research article were 1) to study the meaning of happiness from the perspective of youths; 2) to analyze the role of home, school, and community in influencing youth-designed happiness; and 3) to synthesize guidelines to support youths to create their own happiness meaningfully. Participatory action research was used in a subdistrict of Mueang District, Phatthalung Province, Phaisali District, Nakhon Sawan Province, and Wiang Sa District, Nan Province. The research assistants lived with the community for 7 months, along with qualitative data collection from 31 youths aged 16-18 years through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, observation, and 2 assessment forms, namely the Thai Secondary Child Happiness Assessment (SCH-Thai 12) and the skills assessment forms in a VUCA World

(CY-VUCA Thai11). The qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, while the quantitative data were analyzed using frequency, and mean. The research results found that 1) youth defined happiness as a state of being able to be themselves, be accepted, have the opportunity to choose and grow according to their goals; 2) the social ecosystem still emphasized control more than support, making youth feel a lack of freedom and unable to truly participate; and 3) important support approaches included opening up safe decision-making spaces, promoting self-management skills, and changing the role of adults to be co-creators instead of managers to encourage youth to be able to design their own happiness sustainably.