Gross National Happiness: Approaches, Attributes, and Implications for Small Amazonian Communities

Objective: This study investigated the approaches and attributes of Gross National Happiness (GNH) to identify its possible implications for small Amazonian communities. Theoretical framework: The theories that underpin this study's findings and guided the investigation focus on GNH, structured into nine pillars and their respective components, encompassing economic measurement and evaluation, sustainable use of natural resources, and people's quality of life. Method: The methodology adopted for this research was conceptual bibliographic research in its four stages: 1) the formulation of research questions and their respective response patterns, 2) data collection in the Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, 3) data analysis and organization using semantic and content analysis techniques, and 4) the generation of answers to the research questions. Results and discussion: The results revealed 14 distinct GNH approaches, organized into five semantic groups. Sixty-two attributes characterizing the GNH were organized into eight semantic groups, enabling the elaboration of a diagrammatic scheme that synthesizes the state of the art. These findings were used to present seven possible implications of the GNH for small Amazonian communities, six of which are positive and one that deserves caution. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research appear in the form of a list of impacts on small Amazonian communities and their peoples: improvement of well-being and quality of life, strengthening of social capital and community management, environmental conservation integrated into the way of life, promotion of a sustainable and resilient economy, reinforcement of cultural identities and traditional knowledge, appropriate technological development, and risk of instrumentalization and poorly adapted implementation. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by presenting a theoretical-empirical framework for structuring action plans to eliminate the centuries-old misery of the traditional peoples of the Amazon. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by the list of implications that GNH can bring to small Amazonian communities.