Conceptualizations of Happiness Among University Youth in Uzbekistan.

This article examines the cultural conception of happiness among university youth in Uzbekistan, a Central Asian country noted for high happiness levels despite poor economic conditions. Using a mixed-methods approach including text mining and topic modeling of open-ended survey responses from 306 students, the study identifies four key themes in happiness conceptions: Islamic-oriented, eudaimonic-oriented (encompassing both personal and social aspects), peace-oriented, and family-oriented. Findings highlight that Islamic values, low-arousal positive states (such as contentment and peace), and relationship-centered orientations—especially family ties—are central to the cultural model of happiness in Uzbekistan. Moreover, individuals endorsing Islamic and family-related conceptions, as well as the social dimension of eudaimonia, report higher happiness levels, suggesting that alignment between personal and culturally shared values contributes to well-being in this context.