Religiosity and happiness: an ever-winning couple? An answer from India

Abstract

The link between individual religiosity and happiness has been studied with respect to different aspects. The general conclusion is that religiosity helps people to feel happier. However the extant studies have never taken into account how belonging to a discriminated religious group in a tense environment affects happiness. This paper analyzes this in India, a multireligious country, characterized by religious conflicts. The results show that membership to a discriminated group is source of unhappiness provided that the group represents a minority in a specific territory. Instead, when a religious community is a minority in the country, but it is represents the majority of the population in some specific region(s) membership to it increases individual's happiness. A religiousbased federalism could appease the conflicts and increase people's happiness.happiness, India, religious denominations, conflict, discrimination