Abstract

Based on a series of extensive interviews and combining with the research of Professor Xi Kaiyuan（Christopher K. Hsee）, this book compiles a Life Satisfaction Questionnaire of Xinjiang Minority Urban Dwellers, constructs a framework of theoretical analysis of sense of happiness of Xinjiang and develops a comprehensive index to measure the sense of happiness of Xinjiang minority urban dwellers, aiming at compensating the lack of sense of happiness in the field of the research on minority urban dwellers. At the same time, from a perspective of sense of happiness, this book begins with an analysis of subjective and objective factors on sense of happiness of Xinjiang minority urban dwellers, thus provides a new perspective and a basis for the construction of a harmonious Xinjiang.

The sense of happiness and life satisfaction is closely correlated, and among the dimensions of life satisfaction, regional economic development and condition of human touch are the two important factors affecting the sense of happiness of Xinjiang minority urban dwellers. In the demographic variables, where-the-place-one-lives-in-belongs, where-one's-family-lives, political status, educational background, family size and family monthly income are the important factors affecting the sense of happiness of Xinjiang minority urban dwellers. This book analyses the subjective and objective factors affecting people's sense of happiness and explores how these factors affect the sense of happiness of Xinjiang minority urban dwellers.

The sense of happiness of Xinjiang minority urban dwellers is characterized by the distinct religious features. There are Islamic characteristics in the Muslim's sense of happiness that distinguish theirs from that of others. As Allah puts it in Quran, “those who believe and do right: Joy is for them, and bliss（their）journey's end. ”（13: 29）This book explores the Islamic view of happiness: happiness is the unification of this life and next life;happiness is the dialectical unity of pain and pleasure; happiness is the unity of material pleasure and spiritual pursuit; happiness is the unity of concern for one's own well-being and concern for the that of others; happiness has the unity of cause and effect as its core.

The study explores the routes to improve the sense of happiness of Xinjiang minority urban dwellers and the routes to speed up the construction of harmonious society in Xinjiang. Happiness can be acquired through education, strengthening cognition of happiness and exertion of the potential roles of positive psychology in the formation of the concept of happiness. The advanced culture's leading role, the promotion of religion's adaption to the advanced culture, the integration of multicultures, the unity of all nationalities and the improvement of people's sense of happiness and living a happy life with dignity for people of all nationalities will work together to lay a solid foundation for the building of a harmonious Xinjiang.

The preceding studies have shown that the income, only when it is at a certain minimum level, has influence on one's sense of happiness. While once it meets a person's basic needs, it only plays a very limited role in one's subjective sense of happiness. This book finds that there exists a strong correlation between family income and people's subjective sense of happiness, and the social development has a significant effect on people's sense of happiness. It indicates that Xinjiang is still an underdeveloped region, so it is crucial to speed up economic and social development in ethnic minority areas in Xinjiang, to realize the prosperity of all nationalities in Xinjiang, to improve people's sense of happiness and to promote the building of a harmonious Xinjiang.

This study finds that the employment, education, medical care and other livelihood issues have very significant influence on the sense of happiness of minority urban dwellers of Xinjiang. Thus, to accelerate the building of people's livelihood and to allow people to share the benefit from the fruits of social development to a greater degree will speed up the pace of building a harmonious Xinjiang.