The Fertility of a Concept: A Bibliometric Review of Human Flourishing.

Manuel Cebral-Loureda,Alberto Hernández-Baqueiro,Enrique Tamés-Muñoz

doi:10.3390/ijerph19052586

Manuel Cebral-Loureda, Alberto Hernández-Baqueiro + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052586

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Abstract

Human flourishing is a thriving concept, whose use has greatly increased among academic researchers from a variety of fields, from the arts and humanities and psychology to the social and environmental sciences and economics. To better understand the concept’s success, this work proposes a bibliometric review, in which statistical methods and data mining were used to analyze 1829 documents, chosen from the Scopus database by searching the term “human flourishing”. Through cluster and network analyses, the study shows the concept’s evolution and composition, as well as its current tensions and trends, in which the predominantly psychological approach is being compensated with social concerns and the search for justice. Furthermore, the concept’s strong philosophical roots provide it with abstract richness and great fertility, which can be seen in keywords, such as virtue or eudaimonia. This bibliometric review proved to be useful for this type of study, despite the limitations imposed by the characteristics of the Scopus database itself.

Highlights

The question of how well-being and happiness are achieved has been a constant concern for different cultures and societies throughout history [1]
We found just three previous similar works: Dominko and Verbič [13], who analyzed many words together, related with subjective well-being and happiness, and in the field of economics; Fabricio et al [14], who studied the term flourishing, but in relation with work contexts and selecting a much smaller dataset; Rusk and Waters [15], who bibliometrically studied the use of the term positive psychology; the current study is about the conceptual use of human flourishing, with a large dataset, and emphasizing the transdisciplinary view
Within the Scopus database, the term human flourishing was used for the first time in

Summary

Introduction

The question of how well-being and happiness are achieved has been a constant concern for different cultures and societies throughout history [1]. A concept has emerged, mostly within Western Culture, to answer those questions: the concept of human flourishing Through this concept, many authors are attempting to provide a definition of happiness and to establish solid, quantitative metrics-supported references to promote the positive development of both individuals and society [2,3,4]. [33], with 311 citations These documents elaborate on the importance of subjective experience, a comparison among them will show a focus on the impact that flourishing in daily human lives has as a source of dignity. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 2586 portance of subjective experience, a comparison among them will show a focus on the impact that flourishing in daily human lives has as a source of dignity

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