Happiness among the Elderly and Retirement Planning: An Analytical, Appreciative and Applicative Study
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This research article aimed to analyze, critically examine, and interpret the happiness of the elderly in relation to retirement planning. The study was qualitative in nature and primarily involved document-based research. It followed a philosophical methodology, including dialectical reasoning and the exchange of viewpoints between two perspectives: the researcher, who argued that the concept of elderly happiness according to post-moderate philosophical approaches is suitable for promoting retirement planning, and the opposing view, which maintained that the concept of elderly happiness under alternative new-age paradigms is more appropriate for supporting retirement planning.
The research findings revealed that the opposing perspective argued that retirement planning requires quantifying the happiness of the elderly in clear numerical and financial terms, which would allow for the most accurate preparation of retirement budgets. The researcher critiqued this argument, noting its weaknesses: elderly happiness is multidimensional and cannot be fully captured through quantitative data or financial figures. Moreover, budget numbers are merely outcomes based on assumptions used for retirement planning. Based on this critique, the researchers supported their position, arguing that enhancing the quality of life and happiness of the elderly is an instinctive will, and that each individual’s happiness is unique to their own life experience. This approach leads to retirement budgeting that avoids excessive financial targets and results in more precise, individualized financial planning. Therefore, the concept of elderly happiness according to post-moderate philosophical approaches is considered suitable for promoting effective retirement planning.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Views and opinions expressed in the articles published by The Journal of MCU Peace Studies, are of responsibility by such authors but not the editors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors.
References
Babazadeh, T., et al. (2025). Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, and Happiness in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study. PLOS One, 20(3), 1–13.
Bunchua, K. (2012). Problems and Solutions Concerning Education of Virtues and Ethic (Including Religious Morality) in Thailand: A Study from Samuel Huntington’s Perspective. (Research Report). Bangkok: Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University.
Department of Mental Health. (2015). Five-Dimensional Happiness Manual for the Elderly. (6th ed.). Nonthaburi: The Printing Agricultural Co-operative Federation of Thailand.
Ghadwan, A. S., Ahmad, W. M. W., & Hanifa, M. H. (2023). Financial Planning for Retirement: The Moderating Role of Government Policy. SAGE Open, 13(2), 1–16.
Glinskaya, E., Walker, T., & Wanniarachchi, T. (2021). Caring for Thailand’s Aging Population. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.
Guo, T., Cheng, Y., Gibson, P., & Pantuosco, L. J. (2019). Time Allocations and Self-Reported Happiness of Retirees: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Financial Planning, 32(3), 38–47.
Ketkaew, C., et al. (2022). Towards Sustainable Retirement Planning of Wageworkers in Thailand: A Qualitative Approach in Behavioral Segmentation and Financial Pain Point Identification. Risks, 10(1), 1–30.
Layard, R., & Ward, G. (2020). Can We Be Happier? Evidence and Ethics. London: Pelican.
Leeuwen, K. M. V., et al. (2019). What Does Quality of Life Mean to Older Adults? A Thematic Synthesis. PLOS One, 14(3), 1–39.
Li, C., & Managi, S. (2023). Income Raises Human Well-Being Indefinitely, but Age Consistently Slashes It. Scientific Reports, 13, 1–21.
Liu, C., Bai, X., & Knapp, M. (2022). Multidimensional Retirement Planning Behaviors, Retirement Confidence, and Post-Retirement Health and Well-Being Among Chinese Older Adults in Hong Kong. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 17, 833–849.
Palacios, R., & Jain, H. (2021). Pension Provision in Thailand. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.
Segura, A., et al. (2023). The Subjective Perception of the Happiness of Older Adult Residents in Colombia. Frontiers in Medicine, 10, 1–11.
Sirikururattakorn, N., & Sonsuphap, R. (2024). The Elderly Society: The Financial Security Policy of Thailand. National Defence Studies Institute Journal, 15(1), 168–181.
Suwanna, T. (2021). The Financial Preparation for Pre-Retirement of Informal Labor in Bangkok and Metropolitan Area. Humanities and Social Science Research Promotion Network Journal, 4(2), 58–72.
Takaew, R. (2014). The Meaning of “Dee-Ngam” in Thai Culture Context: An Analytic, Appreciative and Applicative Approaches. (Doctoral Dissertation). Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. Bangkok.
Thailand Securities Institute. (2010). Financial Planning Curriculum: Module 4 – Retirement Planning. Bangkok: n.p.
Ventegodt, S., Merrick, J., & Andersen, N. J. (2003). Quality of Life Theory I: The IQOL Theory: An Integrative Theory of the Global Quality of Life Concept. The Scientific World Journal, 3, 1030–1040.
