HAPPINESS IN PERCEPTION OF THE SUNDANESE PARAHYANGAN WEST JAVA

INDONESIA

Tahrir1
N Kardinah
Witrin Gamayanti
1
Psychological Faculty of State Islamic University Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung
tahrir@uinsgd.ac.id

Abstract
Happiness is the rights of all people. But in manifesting it differ from one person to another as
well as the measure of his happiness. This study aims to identify the perception of Sunda
parahyangan people about the meaning of happiness. The method used is Grounded Theory
which attempts to construct the results of field data into a new theory. Techniques of data
collection using interviews with research subjects are Sundanese Parahyangan people who live in
tatar Sundanese kingdom Galuh village Karangkamulyan district Cijeungjing district Ciamis. The
results of data analysis show that the respondents say that the meaning of happiness is bungah,
atoh, bagja, and seneng. With the indicators are the family (husband / wife, children,
grandchildren, and parents) most important. Furthermore, daily necessities (money, work, meals),
good children, faithful couples and healthy.

Keywords: Happiness, perception, people sunda parahyangan

1. Introduction
Happiness is a feeling that can be experienced by everyone. But the indicators of everyone's
happiness vary according to how people perceive the happiness. Some say that if they already
have their own home, have a lot of money, get together with loved ones / family or have a private
car, some say that happy when able to get everything he wants.
The definition of happiness is also different for everyone. Each person will use happiness in
accordance with his life experience, culture, and religion. However, it does not mean that
happiness is very subjective that can only be felt by others. Happiness as a psychological
construct can be measured scientifically and has generally acceptable parameters. The triggers of
happiness can be very different from one person to another. A research that has been widely
accepted even suggests that certain genetic factors can make a person happier than others.
Although we may not know whether we have the gene of happiness, but one thing is certain as
humans, we can determine our own happiness (Greenberg and Avigdor, 2011).
Happiness in psychological studies is often associated with well beings or wellbeing. Ryan and
Deci (2001) argue that the Well Being tradition includes both Hedonic and Eudaimonic
approaches. Hedonic's approach states that the purpose of life is to achieve happiness, pleasure,
pleasure and avoid pain. In the Subjective Well-Being (SWB) study happiness includes three
composes: life satisfaction, positive passion, and lack of negative arousal. Eudaimonic tradition is
a view of happiness not from the outcome, but on the process of achieving good life.
Happiness is also influenced by the growing culture of society. Kim and Park (2006) mentioned
that culture has a very central role in perceiving social phenomena. Uchida et al. (2004) research
on the cultural construction of happiness, finds that there are differences in the meaning of
happiness in the context of individualistic and eastern (collectivist) cultures. Specifically in the
context of Western or North American culture happiness has a tendency of definition related to
the achievement of personal achievement (personal achievement). In this cultural context
individuals act because they are motivated to maximize positive affects. Self esteem is the best
predictor of happiness.
Being happy in the context of eastern culture tends to be defined as being together. So also with
the perception of happiness according to 'people sunda parahiangan' and indicators of happiness.
Sundanese Parahyangan people are individuals who are very attached to the culture of delay
because they are located in the former center of the kingdom of Sunda Kingdom Galuh. Simple
natural conditions with the availability of clothing, food, and clothing, making the psychological
conditions of the Sundanese tend to be more comfortable and safe. Such conditions have a
significant effect on the joy of sunda parahyangan people. Researchers consider the phenomenon
of happiness Sunda Parahyangan people is interesting to hold further research with the title
research "Happiness in Perception of the Sundanese Parahyangan".
Compton (2005) classifies happiness as part of the concept of subjective well-being (or
subjective wellbeing) or commonly abbreviated as SWB, the other is satisfied with life
(satisfaction of life).
Based on the results of research conducted by Carr (2004) happiness is identical with feeling /
feeling, which is associated with fun activities such as "I'm happy to meet you", "I'm happy to be
home again", "I'm happy with my work" and so on. He said happy is a feeling of fun (pleasure)
and almost all the fun things make happy.
From some of the definitions that successful quote researchers can conclude that happiness is not
easy to define, because each person has different feelings and things that can cultivate happiness.
But in general kebagaiaan is a feeling or feeling that contains emotions in the form of satisfaction
of heart, satisfaction, joy, satisfaction, calm, and peace. Usually happiness is associated with a
particular event or event that ultimately invites happiness.
The Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan is one of the countries seriously developing the
Gross National Happiness Index (GHN) as a guide in formulating state development policies and
programs (Ura, K et al., 2012). The idea of measuring the happiness index of the nation was first
proposed by Bhutan's fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, in the 1970s. The rationale is that
sustainable development needs to use a holistic approach to achieving national progress; thereby
giving important weight to the non-economic aspect of the GDP approach which takes into
account only the economic aspects.
According to Ura, K et al (2012) The GNH Index is a multi dimensional method of measuring
happiness that is associated with a number of policy tools and programs that can be applied. The
GNH index is developed from data obtained from periodic surveys of a region (districts), gender
(gender), age, rural-urban population, etc. Unlike the concept of happiness in Western countries,
the GNH index is multi-dimensional not only measured through one's subjective behavior and not
just focusing narrowly on the happiness that begins and ends and the emphasis on a person.
The GNH Index provides a comprehensive result using 9 GNH domains, namely:
1. Psychological Well-being includes: life satisfaction, positive emotions, negative emotions,
spirituality
2. Time Use includes: work and sleep
3. Community Vitality includes: donations (time and money), public relations, family, security
4. Cultural Diversity and Resilience include: speaking local / native language, cultural
participation, artistic skill, drigiam napzha
5. Ecological Resilience includes: ecological issues, environmental responsibility, forest
destruction, urbanization issues
6. Living Standard includes: assets, housing, income per capita
7. Health includes: Healthy mental, self-reported health status, healthy days, disability
8. Education includes: literacy, school, knowledge, values
9. Good Government includes: government performance, fundamental rights, service, political
participation
Sundanese people are often called Priangan people. This community inhabits most of the
province of West Java, ranging from the city of Bandung, Bogor, Sukabumi, Tasikmalaya, Garut,
Sumedang, Cimahi, Cianjur. Priangan city is inhabited by the Sundanese community with its
gregarious village pattern consisting of several houses in the form of babakan and the boundaries
that connect between one village with another kampung so as to form one village unity. The
livelihood of the Sundanese people is farming in the fields or fields. The main plant is rice grown
in rice fields that are generally storied. In the garden or fields they grow vegetables, in addition to
export crops, such as tea, rubber, sugar cane. Others work on farms, fisheries, handicrafts, plaits,
and so on. Progress in the field of education has led many Sundanese working as civil servants,
educators, executives, businessmen, traders (Hidayah, 2015).
The number of Sunda Priangan tribal populations today is difficult to ascertain. But it is
estimated there are at least about 20 million people. From the 1930 census is known there are
about 4.6 million people. Now it is estimated 30 million people. Sundanese knows the language
level, the Lemes language (subtle language) found in the areas of Ciamis, Tasikmalaya, Garut,
Sumedang, Sukabumi and Cianjur. Medium languages can be found in the northern coastal areas
of Banten, Karawang, and Cirebon. Then rough language, which is subdivided into cohag (rough)
and cohag pisan (very rough).
The Sundanese Parahyangan referred to in this study are Sundanese or Sundanese citizens /
people who are born and raised, and live in the tatar sunda / Priangan area. The Sundanese taken
as a sample of this study are residents who are around the village area Karangkamulyan
Cijeungjing district Ciamis district which is predicted as a descendant of the kingdom Galuh
Ciamis.

2. Method
This research uses Grounded Theory method or Grounded Research model which aims to find
new theory based on empirical data in field with inductive genarative way that is the
determination or construction of theory based on data as evidensi. The term Grounded Theory
was first introduced by Glaser in 1967.
According to Glaser (1967) and Strauss & Corbin (1998). Grounded Theory is an inductive
methodological discovery methodology that allows researchers to develop the theoretical reports
of the general features of a topic simultaneously in the field from the empirical data observation
record. Grounded Theory is a methodology that tries to construct theories on important issues of
people's lives.
Sources of data in this study is taken from the village community Karangkamulyan Cijeungjing
District Ciamis Regency spread in 12 Rukun Warga and 37 Rukun Tetangga. With sampling
technique that will be used is proportional random sampling technique that is sampling technique
with random and balanced way from population. In this study the samples were taken in a
balanced manner from each neighborhood unit, each RukunTetangga was represented by 4-6
respondents and the random sampling was done. Using this technique, the total samples taken in
this study amounted to 113 people who were representatives of the 28 RukunTetangga.
Technique of taking data in this research using interview method. As for the question submitted
to the renewen is: the meaning of happiness for the Sundanese people, any thing that can bring
happiness. The data processing model in Grounded Research is as follows: formulating the
research problem, performing data selection through interview, analyzing the data of the stages
(Open coding is the encoding that starts from an unclear understanding of the category, Axial
Coding that is tracking the relationship between the data elements which is encoded, Selective
Coding is the process of integrating and filtering categories), theorizing, validating theory.

3. Results
After the researchers collected data from all the interviewers, data on the meaning of happiness,
shared by participants. Here's the answer of participants given when asked for opinions about
happiness.
Generally when participants are asked for the meaning of happiness, they immediately say that
the most important family (husband, wife, children, grandchildren and parents) or daily needs
issues related to money, work and food needs. Some say that happiness is when having husbands,
wives or children who pious, love each other and get together. Husband faithful despite not
having the money, remain faithful because of lack of owned wife for example because sick so can
not serve husband well.
“Bahagia? Naon atuhnya bahagia teh? Hehehe, caroge bageur, nteu macem-macem weh lah
pokok namah, usaha lancar, tiasa kanggo emam, sakola barudak”.
Can meet the needs of families in terms of food needs and education of children can be fulfilled,
husband business smoothly and can gather with husband. Being a wife who can serve her
husband is also an aspect of happiness that is often referred to by participants. Some participants
say it is important to get together with husbands and children, even though husbands do not have
the necessary money to gather. Others say money and food is more important, so when
researchers and interviewers come to retrieve data, they often think we are the ones who will log
to provide rocks from the government.
As a mother, the happiness is when she can see her child grow and develop under her mother's
care. School smoothly, achieving children, not involved in delinquency / problems such as drunk
or gambling. Another opinion said by the participants is children can work and help family life.
Of the many opinions about the happiness of economic and family aspects are most widely
mentioned compared to other aspects. Having a good neighbor is referred to as happiness as well
by some participants. Can help each other with neighbors, can friendship, cooperation, mutual
respect, sharing, mutual support and can gather together is another aspect of happiness associated
with the relationship with the community. Another aspect called happiness is health, the whole
family is healthy and can maintain good personal or environmental health.
Spiritual problems are also highlighted by some participants, they mentioned that closeness with
Allah SWT and have confidence in Him is a happy thing, in addition to engaging in pengajian
activities. Another aspect of religious affairs that is lived as happiness is being able to accept
whatever conditions it bears (qona'ah), not violating the Shari'a especially the affairs of
drunkenness and gambling, can be patient, tawadhu, grateful, sincere, able to shodaqoh and have
a sholeh family, sholehah.
Another aspect that brings happiness is getting together with loved ones, having no problems, a
calm heart, and no intricate thoughts. Other happiness is to have a home, to enjoy the wealth,
good life / everything good, can live in accordance with the customs, not lose the language close
to the tourist attractions, get rizki and have a long and useful life for others.

4. Discussion
Based on the results of research, researchers try to group answers into six dimensions, namely
community, culture, health, standard of living, psychological welfare and religion.
The first is the community, divided into two aspects namely the relationship with community and
family. For the people of Karangkamulyan village the happiness is when they have a balanced
and harmonious family and community relationship. This dimension is a dimension that many
referred to as happiness. Can be with family even if they do not have money, together with
husband or wife, have good children, behave positively in accordance with shari'a religion. The
loyalty of husbands to wives is also often referred to by wives as kebahagaian.
Another aspect of the community that is often referred to as kebahagaiaan is having a harmonious
relationship with the neighbors, they say how uncomfortable when having neighbors who can not
be invited to cooperate in creating community harmony. Apparently, gotong royong, sharing,
please help when there are people who get kesulitasn be important for them to get happiness.
Relationships that are difficult between the neighbors for them will bring peace in life.
Similarly, as presented by Carr (2004) and Compton (2005) that the indicator of happiness is
having a positive relationship with the family as well as with the social environment. They also
mention the importance of social support and emotional closeness with many parties will bring
happiness especially when someone is having difficulty living. GNH own aspects of community
relations aspects there are four, but who meet in masyarakt sunda in Karangkamulyan there are
only two family and neighbors.
The second dimension often referred to by participants is the standard of living. Money is a factor
of happiness often expressed by participants. It seems that almost all participants say happiness is
when they have money. Researchers see that this happens because on average they have middle
to low economic life which is their daily work average daily earnings even some participants
have no permanent job or material no have a job and rely on their child or daily job odd jobs.
Next is the fulfillment of daily necessities, called daily needs here more to the affairs of eating,
drinking, home, school fees children. Have a job that ends is the fulfillment of money for their
lives. Homes, though not many mention this as happiness but some mention home as happiness,
including having rice paddies, being able to enjoy nature, enjoy wealth, and be able to do
recreation with family.
According to the unique researcher of the living standards problem is when they talk about the
importance of money as a source of happiness is intended for the person, really to meet the needs
of a very basic personality that is the need for food other than of course for the education of
children but it is not much mentioned compared to eating affairs.
Third is health, is another dimension that can be an indicator of happiness, if Carr (2004) and
Compton (2005) do not make this an indicator of happiness but the impact of happiness is
physical and psychological health. If GNH (2010) mentions that health is one indicator of
happiness as well as people in this village health is often referred to as a source of health, even
some say there is no meaning money and wealth if not healthy. It's just that the aspects of health
described by GNH are broader and broader not just about personal or family health, if the
findings of this study are health that refers to personal health and close (family) people.
Fourth is psychological well-being, Carr (2004) and Compton (2005) mention happiness as part
of psychological well-being. That a prosperous person is psychologically happier or the opposite
effect of happiness is one's psychological well-being. The findings of this study also content not
much different that happiness is determined by positive emotions with no problems that make the
mind so complicated, peace of mind, have deeper affective relationships. Indeed, in terms of
quality, the well-being of the research is not much of a problem, not much thought or
achievement of desire, a little more superficially than the theory conveyed by Carr (2004) and
Compton (2005) when it peels psychological well-being.
Fifth is spirituality in religion GNH united with psychological well-being, which is called as
spirituality. For this study, the researcher separates religion from spirituality with the reason that
when participants mention religious aspect, it is specific mention of Islam religion or activity
which is implementation of shariat of religion which they profess. In Carr (2004) and Compton
(2005), spirituality is discussed separately and is not used in the discussion of happiness or in
specific subjects. Indicators whose content is tangent to the concept of spirituality in happiness
according to Compton (2005) is when talking about the meaning and purpose of life. In this
research, it is found that the indicator of kebahagaiaan is when the participant is close to Allah,
can follow pengajian, can sincerely, tawadhu, can be grateful, accept all condition which Allah
give (qona'ah), can bersodaqoh, and can do other religious activity. This is possible because the
Sunda people of this village are predominantly Muslim and everyday they perform their religious
rituals. The sixth aspect is culture, this is the aspect that is least referred to as an indicator of
happiness. They mention when able to run life in accordance with cultural values and can speak
Sundanese / Sundanese language preserve merupkan things that happy.

5. Conclusion and Suggestion

Conclusion
Based on the results of research yng already described above, obtained the following conclusions:
a. There are six dimensions found by researchers who can be used as indicators of happiness in
the village of Karangkamulya sunda, namely community, living standards, psychological
welfare, health, spirituality, and culture
b. The results of this study is certainly not final, to be made into a theory that still still required
the next stage of research.
Suggestion
a. Make the age as a characteristic of participants so not too far his age range.
b. Consider education as part of the research as it affects the quality of the answers.
c. Interviewers' skills in interviews also need to be calculated and prepared more mature so that
the results of research more targeted
d. The depth quality of each indicator needs to be deepened by interviews, questionnaires or
other techniques.
e. Expand and multiply the research sample
f. Because of this research on the Sundanese society, the selection of the research site becomes
important, namely choosing a place that really still apply the values of Sunda such as
Kampung Naga, Baduy or Kampung Mahmud.
References
Carr, A. (2004). Positive Psychology : The Science of Happiness and Human Strengths. Hove &
NewYork : Brunner – Routledge Taylor & Francis Group
Compton, William C. (2005). Introduction to Positive Psychology. USA: Thomson Learning
Glaser, B.G. (1967) The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Aldine Publishing Co., New York NY.
Greenberg, CL dan Avigdor, BS (2011) What Happy Working Mothers Know. Jakarta Salemba:
Humanika
Harmaini &Yulianti. (2014). Peristiwa-Peristiwa yang Membuat Bahagia. Psympathic Jurnal
Ilmiah Psikologi UIN Bandung, Volume 7, Nomor 2 Desember.
Hidayah, Z (2015) Ensiklopedi Suku Bangsa di Indonesia.
Kim, I.J.K dan Park, P.Y. (2006). The role of culture, family processes, and anger regualtion in
Korean American adolescents’ adjustment problem. American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry, Vol: 80.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001). To be happy or to be self ‐fulfilled: A review of research on
hedonic and eudaimonic well‐being. In S. Fiske (Ed.). Annual Review of Psychology (Vol.
52; 141‐166). Palo Alto, CA: Annual Reviews/ Inc.
Strauss, A. L. (1987) Qualitative Research For Social Scientists. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, UK.
Strauss, A. L., and Corbin, J. (1998) Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory
Procedures and Technique. Alih Bahasa Muhammad Shodiq dan Iman Mutaqin. Dasar-
dasar Penelitian Qualitative. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar.
Uchida, Y., Norasakkunkit, V., Kitayama, S., (2004). Cultural Constructions of Happiness:
Theory and Empirical Evidence. Journal of Happiness Studies, 5: 223‐239. Netherlands:
Kluwer Academic
Ura, K, Alkire, S, Zangmo, T, & Wangdi, K (2012) An Extensive Analysis of GNH Index. The
Centre for Bhutan Studies Thimphu, Bhutan