Social Happiness: Theory Into Policy and Practice

ISBN-13: 9781847429193 / Angielski / Miękka / 2012 / 320 str.

Neil Thin

Opis

In recent years, happiness has seized the imaginations of both social researchers and policymakers with remarkable speed."Social Happiness"examines the achievements and potential of applied happiness scholarship in a variety of contexts and argues that progressive policies must explicitly consider happiness. Neil Thin expertly traces the rise of the theme of happiness in scholarship, policy, and moral discourse and then explores the practical implications for happiness studies in a range of social experiences, including relationship guidance, parenting, schooling, gender reform, work-life harmony, and rethinking old age."

Spis treści

Preface: On happiness, rationality, and empathy in scholarship and policy; Part one: Happiness in policy discourse and research; Introduction: prosperity debates and the happiness lens; What really matters: concepts, evaluations and objections; Effects of happiness (and unhappiness); Thinking ourselves happy: on the policy relevance of both subjectivity and objectivity; Who makes happiness happen? On positive deviance, emotion work, and psychosocial contagion; Governance and responsibility: towards the eudaimonic state?; Assessing happiness: measurement and beyond; Correlations and causal theories; Part Two: Social happiness in policy and practice; Love: fighting philophobia around the world; The shape of good hope: Cultivating reasonable aspirations; Positive parenting and cheerful childlessness; Schooling for joy; New gender agendas: feel-good feminism for fun and fulfilment; Working for happiness, happily working, and work-life harmony; Shopping for happiness: corporate happwash and consumption ethics; Geronto-eudaimonics: late-life thriving for all; Conclusions: review and prospects.