• Positive psychology and the quest for human flourishing

• Positive psychological theories and models of flourishing

• Human flourishing in the social and behavioural sciences

• Context-specificity in human flourishing research

• The theoretical framework in application• Conclusions and future research

• Positive psychology addresses many diverse social, psychological, and behavioural aspects of human wellbeing and optimal functioning. Examples ...

Optimism Vitality

Hope Humility Self-transcendence

AltruismSubjective wellbeing Life satisfaction

• However, the discipline has been criticised for being unfocused, or lacking a unifying theory or goal (e.g. Sheldon, 2004, 2009)

• Recently, Seligman (2011) has asserted that the underlying goal of all positive psychological endeavours is human flourishing

Some use the label flourishing explicitly...

• Flourishing as a form of positive mental health (Keyes, 2002, 2006, 2007)

• Flourishing as a dynamic process of alternation between satisfaction (or achievement) and striving (or growth) (Vitterso, 2009)

• Flourishing as psychosocial prosperity (Diener et al., 2010)

• Flourishing as wellbeing in the PERMA model (Seligman, 2011)

• Flourishing as a symptomatological opposite of depression (Huppert & So, 2013)

Others refer to ideas conceptually related or similar to flourishing...

• Self-actualisation (Maslow, 1943)

• Self-determination (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2000)

• Psychological wellbeing (Ryff, 1989)

• Authentic happiness (Seligman, 2002)

• Critiques pertaining to a strong focus on empirical methods (e.g. Rowan, 2005)

• Often minimal or no discussion of qualitative research, and/or research from interdisciplinary social sciences (e.g. Fernandez-Rios & Cornes, 2009)

• Strong concern with definition, operationalisation which confines proceeding research (and therefore knowledge) to a singular conception of flourishing...

• Classic sociological theory• Human flourishing comes about through individuals

being integrated into a cohesive society - through engagement in meaningful social practices (Durkheim, 1897/1951; viz. Turner's [1969/1995] communitas)

• Human flourishing as a form of social 'emancipation' -follows Aristotelian ideation of flourishing as a moral byproduct of virtuous thought/action (Marx, 1959/1988)

• "Positive sociology" (Mooney, 2012)• "Positive anthropology" (Fischer, 2010)• "Practice of concern" - flourishing among elders of

rural Japanese communities (Traphagan, 2004)

• Much of the work highlights the importance of communities and social practices in the emergence of human flourishing

• These concepts have received less attention in positive psychology, which tends to study them at the individual level (e.g. Keyes, 1998) or to abstract flourishing from its (social) contexts altogether (Slife & Richardson, 2008)

• However, some acknowledgement of social science's contributions has begun to emerge (e.g. Haidt et al., 2008)

• This is a positive step towards greater integration and dialogue between positive psychology and other social sciences on human flourishing research

• Both positive psychology and social/behavioural science research on human flourishing may benefit from greater integration with one another

• Need to recognise that knowledge generated by positive psychology on human flourishing is embedded within a variety of disciplinary and philosophical contexts

• A possible way to depict this...

• Current research project (work in progress) aims to explore human flourishing in the context of higher education in Japan

• Focuses on human flourishing as a socially constructed idea and practice within the classroom and teaching/learning situations

• E.g. How do students/teachers understand flourishing? How do their ideas interact in practice? How are teaching and learning practices implicated by these ideas?

• Methods include an interdisciplinary literature review, interviews, observations in class

• The project aims to develop an understanding of how flourishing is understood and practiced in tertiary education, a level under-researched in comparison to primary and secondary schools

• May be able to make suggestions for teaching/learning practice or policy in Japan to enhance potential for human flourishing

• More broadly, aims to highlight the value of recognising disciplinary contexts as a key aspect of human flourishing research

• Positive psychological research on human flourishing has made significant progress over the last decade

• However, the discipline may benefit from more explicit acknowledgement of the disciplinary contexts that implicate the knowledge constructed

• E.g. Through more widespread acceptance of alternative methodologies; inclusion of knowledge from social and behavioural sciences

• The framework does not necessarily propose anything unknown

• However, having it in existence may encourage more interdisciplinary integration - "positive social science" (Seligman, 1999)

Thank you!

e.rombssoroczan@gmail.com