2. • 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

3. • 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

4. 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)

5. • 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...

6. • 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)

7. • 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

8. • 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...

10. • 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

11. • 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

12. • 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)

13. Thank you!
e.rombssoroczan@gmail.com