New practices for a better and fairly life between responsible citizenship and well-being development

This paper presents a research relating subjective well being and responsible citizenship choices. Among the main theories of Positive Psychology, we refer in particular to the Edonic approach of Khaneman, Diener and Schwarz (1999), the Eudaimonia approach of Ryan and Deci (2001), and the Strengths and Virtues theory of Peterson and Seligman (2004). The study aims to assess the enactment policies referred to subjective well being in the daily experience of 13 Italian Municipalities that have voluntary undersigned the Statute of the “Associazione Comuni Virtuosi” (Italian Virtuous Municipality Association). These municipalities promote norms and initiatives to support a policy and a culture voted to the so called Theory of Decreasing. This political movement criticizes the belief that richness determines people's happiness and, as alternative, suggests new practices for a better and fairly life: this represents a great chance of stimulating individual good practices, creating positive social and cultural changes. The method of research refers to the results of the study by Park, Peterson and Seligman Strengths of Character and Well-Being published on Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology (2004). The authors determined that some of Peterson and Seligman's 24 Virtues and Strengths of Character show a stronger relation to life satisfaction (measured with the Diener's Satisfaction with Life Scale). We created a battery of qualitative instruments utilizing the 2 or 3 strengths of each virtue stronger linked to life satisfaction. In the interviews we investigated how much attention is focused on these virtues and strength in the policies, and how those virtues are perceived by citizens. The sample is constituted of mayors and officers of the involved municipalities. A second phase of the research is constituted by the analysis of territorial data concerning economic and communitarian practices. The data seem to confirm the relation between a responsible and meaningful policy regarding the economic development and the increasing of strengths and virtues in the community.