Positive Psychology as Social Change (eBook)

Robert Biswas-Diener is widely known as the "Indiana Jones of Positive Psychology" because his scientific pursuit of the emotional good life has led him to such far flung places as India, Greenland, Israel, Kenya, and Spain. He sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of Positive Psychology and the Journal of Happiness Studies. Robert is CAPP's Programme Director for Education and Learning. He is also part-time instructor of psychology at Portland State University (USA). Robert is the author of the books, Positive Psychology Coaching: Putting the science of happiness to work for your clients (Wiley, 2007), and Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth (Blackwell, 2008).

Editor's Foreword 5
Contents 12
Contributors 14
1 What People Really Want in Life and Why It Matters: Contributions from Research on Folk Theories of the Good Life 16
Why Study Folk Theories of the Good Life? 17
Our Research Paradigm 18
What We Know: A Review of Research on Folk Theories of the Good Life 20
Alternative Approaches to Folk Theories of the Good Life 25
The Next Frontiers of Research on the Good Life 26
Conclusions 27
References 28
Part I Some Cautionary Thoughts 30
2 Think Before You Think 31
Thinking 32
Listening 32
Intervening 32
Issues of Primary Importance 33
Three Global Issues 34
Wicked Problems 35
Beer and Systems 36
Example 1: A Societal Feedback Loop – The Happy Planet Index 37
Example 2: Creating (Almost) Real-Time Feedback Loops for Organisational Change: Well-Being@Work 39
Example 3: A Prescriptive Heuristic That Is Actually Facilitative: Five Ways to Well-Being 42
Conclusions 45
References 45
3 Socially Responsible Cheermongery: On the Sociocultural Contexts and Levels of Social Happiness Policies 47
Cheermongers: Around the World from Birth to Death 47
The Joys of Childbirth: Midwifery and Murder in Bihar 48
Fun at School: Circle Time, Rape, and Deworming in Kenya 49
Dancing: Out and About in Australia 50
Love and Marriage: Stars, Contracts, and Love Pioneers in Kerala 51
Health Seeking, Peace Making, and Hate-Mongery in Africa 52
On the Ethnocentric Roots and Countercultural Ambitions of Positive Psychology 55
Towards Social Happiness Policies 58
Conclusions: Social Development as if Happiness Mattered 60
References 61
Part II Positive Psychology and Public Policy 64
4 Monitoring Psychosocial Prosperity for Social Change 65
Elements of Psychosocial Prosperity 67
Social Prosperity 67
Psychological Prosperity 69
Benefits of Psychosocial Prosperity 72
Global Psychosocial Prosperity 74
The Policy Role of Positive Psychology 76
Psychosocial Measures and Policy 76
Economics and Well-Being 77
Implementing the Vision 78
Timing for National Psychosocial Accounts 78
Implementation of National Psychosocial Accounts 78
Conclusions 79
References 80
5 Gross National Happiness: A Gift from Bhutan to the World 84
Gross National Happiness 85
The Pillars of GNH 87
Sustainable and Equitable Socioeconomic Development 87
Environmental Conservation 88
Promotion of Culture 88
Good Governance 88
Developing Indicators to Measure GNH 90
Health 91
Time Use 92
Environmental Quality 92
Psychological Well-Being 93
An Example of Applying GNH in Social Policy 94
Gross International Happiness? 95
References 97
6 Ecological Challenges, Materialistic Values, and Social Change 99
Self-Enhancing, Materialistic Values 100
A Strategy to Enhance Sustainability by Decreasing Materialistic Values 102
Addressing the Causes of Self-enhancing, Materialistic Values 102
Promoting an Alternative Set of Values 103
Four Applications of the Strategy for Social Change 106
Voluntary Simplicity 106
Time Affluence 109
Restrictions on Advertising 110
Changing the Economic System 112
Conclusion 115
References 115
7 Positive Psychology and Public Health 119
The Concept of Mental Health 120
Mental Health, Subjective Well-Being and Psychological Well-Being 120
Health Promotion 126
Crossing Point Between Prevention and Promotion 127
Positive Psychology 128
Measuring Mental Health 129
Mental Health Promotion and Positive Psychology for Social Change 130
References 131
Part III Positive Psychology and Poverty 133
8 Positive Psychology and Poverty 134
Positive Psychology Outcomes, Not Just for the Rich 136
The Emotional Quality of Life of the Poor 137
A Positive Psychology Agenda for Poverty 140
Microfinance as a Tool to Initiate Women's Empowerment 141
A Microfinance Case Study 143
Positive Psychology Interventions for Both Individuals and Groups 144
Recommendations and Conclusions 146
References 147
9 Strengthening Underprivileged Communities: Strengths-Based Approaches as a Force for Positive Social Change in Community Development 150
What Is the Evidence That Strengths Make a Difference? 151
Strengths-Based Approaches to Effect Social Change: The Practice of American Social Work 153
The Asset-Based Community Development Institute 154
A Case Study in the United States: The Mercado Central Minneapolis, Minnesota -- ABCD Institute 155
LASA Development 156
A Case Study in Nepal: Discover Dream Design and Delivery in Phakel -- LASA Development 156
The Strengths Project: Background, Establishment and Objectives 158
Initial Experiences of the Shiriti Kalabagan Slum Community 158
A Case Study in India: Strengthening the Shiriti Kalabagan Slum Community in Kolkata -- The Strengths Project 160
In Conclusion: Challenges and Possibilities for Strengths as a Means of Social Change 161
Appendix: Shiriti Kalabagan Strengths Mapping Interview Schedule 162
References 163
Part IV Positive Psychology and Organizations 166
10 Creating Positive Social Change Through Building Positive Organizations: Four Levels of Intervention 167
Developing Positive Organizations 168
Intrapersonal Interventions 170
Interpersonal Interventions 171
Group Interventions 174
Organizational System Interventions 177
Organizational-Level Interventions for Social Change 179
Factors That Influence Success 180
Conclusion 180
References 181
11 Organizational Democracy as a Force for Social Change 183
Organizational Democracy as a Force for Social Change 183
What Is Organizational Democracy? 185
The End of the Industrial Age 187
Trend One: The Internet and Technology 188
Trend Two: Generations X and Y Have Arrived 188
Trend Three: Wall Street Backlash 189
Trend Four: Political Transitions 189
Trend Five: The Search for Meaning 189
Trend Six: Corporate Social Responsibility 189
Trend Seven: Lifestyle Democracy 189
Trend Eight: Feminine Values 190
The Birth of Blu 190
The WorldBlu Organizational Democracy Framework 191
The Ten WorldBlu Principles of Organizational Democracy 192
Organizational Democracy at DaVita 192
Democratic Companies Have Purpose and Vision 193
Democratic Companies Are Transparent 194
Democratic Companies Encourage Accountability 194
Democratic Companies Provide Choice 194
Democratic Companies Have Integrity 194
Democratic Companies Decentralize Power 195
Democratic Companies Engage in Dialogue and Listening 195
Democratic Companies Treat People with Fairness and Dignity 195
Democratic Companies Embrace Both the Individual and the Collective 196
Democratic Companies Engage in Reflection and Evaluation 196
References 197
Part V Positive Psychology and a Focus on Others 198
12 Better Living Through Perspective Taking 199
Cross-Cultural Caveat 201
Development and Mechanics of Perspective Taking 202
Perspective Taking, Compassion, and Helpful Behavior 206
Perspective Taking, Similarity, and Self-other Merging 208
Perspective Taking and More Charitable Attributions 210
Perspective Taking and Prejudice 212
Perspective Taking and Aggressive Behavior 214
Perspective Taking and Social Interactions 215
Perspctive Taking and the Environment 215
Perspective Taking as Thinking Again, Thinking Differently 216
Ending Ideas 217
References 218
13 Investing in Others: Prosocial Spending for (Pro)Social Change 225
The Relationship Between Money and Happiness 226
Prosocial Spending at the Individual Level 227
Prosocial Spending at the Dyadic Level 231
Prosocial Spending at the Team Level 232
Prosocial Spending at the Organizational Level 233
Onward and Outward 234
Why Does Prosocial Spending Increase Happiness? New Theoretical Questions and Applications 235
Conclusion 237
References 237
Part VI Positive Psychology and Social Change Interventions 241
14 How Does Coaching Positively Impact Organizational and Societal Change? 242
Introduction 242
How Is Coaching Making a Difference in Organizations and Society? 243
Nancy Kline: Independent Thinking to Create Societal Change 243
Mark Rittenberg: Theatre Practices to Develop Holistic, Authentic Leaders 247
Lee Salmon: The Entrepreneurial Go-To Place for Executive Coaching 250
Lew Stern: Positively Influencing Leadership for Global Sustainability 253
Italia Boninelli: Global Mining and Its Impact on Communities and Society 255
Shani Naidoo: Coaching and Social Networking 257
Willem de Jager: Leadership and Innovation for Social Projects 259
Roger Maitland and Brett Anderson: Coaching for Wellness and HIV/AIDS Awareness 262
Brett Anderson 262
Roger Maitland 263
Marilyn Johnson: Coaching for Leadership and Community Awareness 266
Nonkqubela Maliza: Driving the Transformation Agenda 269
Conclusion 271
References 271
15 Positive Psychotherapy and Social Change 272
Defining the Unknown: Mental Health in Clinical Psychology 272
Building Positive Mental Health: The Bricks 273
Opportunities and Constraints 273
Balance and Harmony Across Life Domains 275
Cultural Diversity 276
Goals and Meanings 278
Agency and Responsibility 280
Being Versus Doing 281
Eudaimonia and Hedonia 282
Building Positive Mental Health: The Cement 283
Well-Being Therapy and Its Applications 284
Building Positive Mental Health: Carpenters and End Users 287
References 288
16 Recreate or Create? Leisure as an Arena for Recovery and Change 297
Defining Leisure, Recovery, and Change 298
The Effects of Leisure on Well-Being 299
Particular Leisure Activities 300
Leisure and Positive Change 302
Is the Development of Skills Pleasant? 303
Future Research 306
Conclusions 307
References 308
17 Positive Computing 313
Introduction 313
How Computers Can Help Flourishing on a Global Scale 315
Technological Capabilities Relevant to Positive Computing 317
Collecting Data for Positive Applications 317
Affective Computing and the Personal Happiness Assistant (PHA) 319
Persuading People to Take Positive Action 321
Computers and Purpose in Life 323
Dealing with Challenging Situations 324
Addressing Ethical Concerns and Data Privacy 325
Concluding Remarks 328
References 328
Part VII Change the World 331
18 Changing the World: The Science of Transformative Action 332
References 347
Editor's Afterword 349
Index 356