Wellbeing and Aspirational Culture

Description

This book addresses the paradox that, despite quantifiable advances, people often struggle to experience positive wellbeing. Kevin Moore argues that two key insights can help resolve this paradox: first, that we live in an ‘aspirational culture’ that has its roots in the agrarian revolution and now demands constant economic growth, individual ambition, and self-improvement while promoting change and uncertainty; and second, that we are persons, and persons are created when cultures interact with our biology. Accordingly, our wellbeing depends on how personhood develops through that interaction. Bringing together wellbeing and personhood research from multiple disciplines, Moore explains how aspirational cultures are detrimental to wellbeing because they consistently undermine and disrupt the ordinary tasks of life that are essential to sustaining our personhood and wellbeing. He concludes that if we are serious about improving wellbeing, we have to create a culture not based on aspiration but which, instead, focuses on supporting persons and personhood. Front Matter ....Pages i-ix Introduction: Wellbeing in an Aspirational World (Kevin Moore)....Pages 1-30 Understanding Aspirational Culture—Its Foundations and Development (Kevin Moore)....Pages 31-69 Understanding Wellbeing (Kevin Moore)....Pages 71-105 Persons, Selves, and Wellbeing (Kevin Moore)....Pages 107-138 Persons and Their Wellbeing (Kevin Moore)....Pages 139-156 Aspirational Culture in the Balance (Kevin Moore)....Pages 157-182 Wellbeing at Work and at Play (Kevin Moore)....Pages 183-203 In Praise of Ordinariness: The Wisdom of Living (Kevin Moore)....Pages 205-233 Back Matter ....Pages 235-243