Building Inclusive Excellence: A Framework for Equity and Belonging in Health Care Work Environments.

ABSTRACT The philosophical dominance of social constructionism over the past 35 years, in many parts of the world, created space for important developments in narrative and other dialogical, language‐based forms of therapy. However, the downside was an ultimately limiting linguistic reductionism in which talking about the world was replaced with talking about talk about the world . Discursive epistemology flourished, whereas ontology—what the world beyond our ideas is like—was often left unsayable. Roy Bhaskar's (2016) critical realism retains the valuable insights of moderate versions of social constructionism but places them alongside a non‐naïve realist ontology. It offers a structured, stratified, multicausal, open‐system view of reality that exists relatively autonomously from our socially constructed knowledge, enabling us to evaluate competing knowledge claims through ‘judgemental rationality’. It is argued that we can, do and should make choices about which ideas to support and that keeping such decisions out of awareness disguises the exercise of our power. Critical realism is able to embrace the whole field of systemic psychotherapy and has the potential to end many of the dualisms that have dominated its development. By providing a metatheoretical scaffold for a wide plurality of theories, it enlarges the pool of conceptual resources that therapists can bring to co‐constructed therapeutic encounters. Positivist accounts of science are shown to work only in closed systems. Critical realism, by contrast, explains how underlying but variable causal tendencies operate in open systems, making science—including social science—fit for the real conditions of practice. Despite the strong focus on theory and causality in this paper, theoretical concerns are ultimately positioned as servants to the relational processes of psychotherapy, embedded in caregiving love in the pursuit of human flourishing.

In an era defined by rapid globalization, technological innovation, and deepening ethical crises, education faces the urgent challenge of redefining its purpose beyond mere technical proficiency. The growing moral vacuum in professional, political, and economic leadership underscores the need for a more holistic approach to human formation—one that integrates intellect, ethics, spirituality, and social responsibility. This paper advances the Holistic Curriculum Integration Model (HCIM), an innovative framework designed to bridge the divide between academic specialization and moral consciousness. The HCIM unites theology, health sciences, business, agriculture, information technology, philosophy, and education into a single transformative curriculum architecture aimed at nurturing well-rounded, ethically responsive graduates. Grounded in the African humanist philosophy of Ubuntu, which affirms the principle of interdependence and shared humanity, the model reimagines education as both a moral and communal vocation. Using Rusangu University in Zambia as a contextual case, the study employs a mixed-methods exploratory design combining qualitative and quantitative data to assess the practical application and transformative potential of HCIM. Data from faculty interviews, student focus groups, and curriculum analyses reveal that interdisciplinary and values-based learning significantly enhance moral reflection, collaborative problem-solving, and social engagement among learners. Findings further demonstrate that embedding Ubuntu ethics and theological principles within professional disciplines fosters intellectual humility, civic responsibility, and environmental stewardship—competencies vital for addressing Africa’s contemporary socio-economic and ecological challenges. The study concludes that the HCIM provides a scalable and contextually grounded blueprint for reimagining African higher education as a catalyst for moral renewal, sustainable development, and holistic human flourishing.

The displacement of the bodily subject under conditions of forced migration, particularly in the context of climate-induced exile, invites a phenomenological inquiry into the lived experience of dislocation. Phenomenology foregrounds the body as the primary site of being-in-the-world; yet, when uprooted, the embodied subject undergoes a radical rupture in the continuity of place, memory, and identity. The loss of familiar spatial and social coordinates is not merely geographical but ontological, destabilizing the structures through which subjectivity is constituted. In this frame, displacement is not only a matter of movement across borders but a reconfiguration of the self’s relation to the world. The phenomenological body, once anchored in a horizon of meaning, becomes estranged; its gestures, rhythms, and sensory engagements are disrupted by the absence of a sustaining lifeworld. The subject’s sense of identity is fractured, caught between the memory of belonging and the uncertainty of alien space. Agamben’s notion of homo sacer and the state of exception sharpens this analysis. Climate refugees often exist within juridical vacuums, stripped of political recognition yet governed through humanitarian management. Their bodily presence is both included in the global order through mechanisms of control and excluded from the full rights of political community, embodying Agamben’s paradox of “inclusive exclusion". From an ontological perspective, displacement reveals the fragility of the body’s embeddedness in political and spatial orders. The dislocated subject becomes a threshold figure, existing in suspension between life as zoē (bare existence) and bios (politically qualified life). This convergence of phenomenology and Agamben underscores that climate-induced displacement is not only a humanitarian crisis but also a profound disruption of subjectivity and identity. Recognizing the displaced body as a site of contested ontology demands political frameworks that restore agency, visibility, and the conditions for human flourishing.

This paper advances a novel bio-cognitive framework for understanding how urban peripheries function as disabling environments that systematically undermine human flourishing. Drawing on recent theoretical developments in predictive processing, 4E cognition (embodied, embedded, enactive, and extended), and biology, we propose that marginalization in urban contexts emerges not merely from socio-economic deprivation but from fundamental disruptions to cognitive, physiological, and embodied processes. Our analysis illustrates how peripheral spaces operate as neuro-affective ecologies that constrain agency through the breakdown of sensorimotor coupling, the generation of persistent prediction errors, and the activation of chronic stress responses. We argue that environmental features characteristic of urban peripheries, such as fragmented infrastructure, limited affordances, and unpredictable spatial configurations, create conditions where the dynamic interplay between body, brain, and environment systematically impairs inhabitants’ capacity for effective action and adaptation. This bio-cognitive perspective challenges conventional approaches that frame peripheries primarily through geographic or policy lenses, instead revealing how spatial injustice also operates at the intersection of neural, bodily, and environmental processes. Our framework contributes to emerging debates on spatial justice by providing a scientifically grounded account of how built environments become constitutively disabling, offering new conceptual tools for policy interventions that address the embodied and cognitive dimensions of urban inequality. The implications extend beyond urban planning to fundamental questions about how environments shape human potential and the ethical imperatives of creating spaces that support rather than constrain human flourishing.

ABSTRACT This paper explores Martha Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach (NCA) and offers an elaboration of the often overlooked ‘Other Species Capability’ (OSC), which addresses human flourishing in relation to the natural world. While NCA offers detailed descriptions for several capabilities, the OSC remains underdeveloped, limiting its practical application. Drawing from environmental ethics and Nussbaum’s emphasis on Practical Reason, this paper proposes a framework to specify the OSC at a threshold level. It highlights how clearer guidance for governments can enable more effective protection of this capability, ensuring its alignment with NCA’s broader goal of fostering justice and human dignity across diverse contexts.

Technology has historically served as a fundamental driver of human welfare and progress. Contemporary calls for temporary moratoria on technological development, motivated by concerns about existential threats to humanity, represent a misguided approach that may ultimately prove counterproductive to human flourishing. This paper argues that technology itself is not inherently problematic; rather, the issue lies in contemporary society’s fragmented ontological framework. Drawing on African philosophical traditions, particularly Kemetic cosmology and ubuntu philosophy, we examine how ancient Kemetic civilization exemplified transhumanist principles through its integration of technological advancement within a holistic worldview. The Kemetic understanding of Reality as a sacred, differentiated Whole, embodied in their conception of Atum as the self-developing divine principle, always connected to and guided by Shu (life) and Tefnut/Ma’at (order), provided a cosmological foundation that enabled beneficial coexistence with technology as a life-giving human contingency regulated by ma’at. Similarly, the ubuntu cosmo-philosophical vision in contemporary African thought emphasizes Reality as an interconnected totality, with technology being an independent yet connected excitation in this Reality. This study, therefore, contends that the fundamental challenge facing modern society today is not technological or AI development per se, but rather the need to reconstruct our fragmented perception of Reality. Within a properly integrated cosmological vision, technology functions not as a selfish instrument or an object readily available for our exploitative purposes but as an inherently life-affirming, sustaining, and enhancing force indispensable for the well-being of the Whole. The implications suggest that, rather than constraining technological advancement, which could be detrimental to our well-being due to our inherent reliance on it, as it relies on us, efforts should be directed toward cultivating a holistic yet relational understanding of technology, with the cosmos.

Relative deprivation and subsequent health, happiness, and human flourishing: A longitudinal outcome-wide analysis.

Reframing workplace spirituality: A critical inquiry through Cummings' dimensions.

The forced migrations in the eighth-sixth centuries BCE stimulated Israelite prophets, poets, and storytellers to find metaphors for the horrors of those recurring experiences. The surviving texts also show a concerted effort to visualize return and renewal, especially via metaphors of the renewal of nature, the revival of agriculture, urban reconstruction, and renewal of the temple cult, family, and (limitedly) kingship. The biblical texts, especially in the prophets, blend these metaphors to create theologically rich visions of human flourishing. As such, the texts in question provide important raw material for contemporary movements for renewal.

ABSTRACT This article argues that Tom McCarthy’s 2021 novel The Making of Incarnation reconfigures contemporary realism for an era shaped by virtuality. As stable representation collapses and the boundary between the virtual and the actual blurs, McCarthy redirects attention to the material infrastructures enabling virtuality—the invisible systems underpinning simulation and constituting the real, described here as “infrastructural realism”. Extending beyond present technologies, the novel adopts a historical poetics to trace the genealogies of virtual infrastructures, revealing that virtuality is deeply rooted in human history and offers new perspectives for interpreting received histories. Ultimately, the article contends that The Making of Incarnation, through its sustained ethical inquiry, gestures toward a humanistic future for the age of virtuality. Invoking the motif of love embodied in Lillian's Dantean inscription, the novel imagines virtual infrastructures not as instruments of dehumanization or exploitation, but as foundations for new forms of human flourishing and ethical possibility.

By examining hope through a sociological lens, this commentary frames hope as a critical sociopolitical tool for public health to address structural inequalities and foster healthier communities. We draw on Paolo Freire’s pedagogies of oppression and hope, since they provide a ‘praxis of hope’. We explore the concept of hope – explaining what it is, to then consider what it enables – conveying the ways hope is imperative to human flourishing and imperative in the imagined future of public health. We present a case for public health engagement in developing ‘hope-based’ practices and policies which means working with communities to identify the factors acting as oppressive forces and then, through critical consciousness development, working towards overcoming these in a move towards hope (and health).

Purpose This paper aims to capture a discussion between student and supervisors to understand the context of this constructivist grounded theory study. Design/methodology/approach Feminist epistemology refers to the need to include more women in all aspects of business, encouraging self-growth and development. Although this is a discussion between student and supervisors, the original study is a constructivist grounded theory study. Findings The recommendation is that these underlying biases be exposed to conduct research more objectively, understanding that each incident can be viewed differently. An additional contribution is to voice what some women chefs experience and perhaps move others to expose this discriminatory underbelly in an industry that is perceived as glamorous. Research limitations/implications The truism is that hospitality is a difficult industry in which to work. But those employed in it share a common passion. The work environment is hot and noisy, but a happy guest satisfies those employees. The satisfied employee is more productive and creative. Practical implications Qualitative researchers need to be mindful of their particular stance and to be cautious not to let their biases and stereotypical thinking creep into the data collection or analysis. Originality/value However, the researcher hopes to highlight the importance of human flourishing, especially for all those discriminated against or for minority groups, rather than just taking a feminist view. A concern with qualitative research is that the researcher’s positionality has an impact on the research, so it should be discussed to expose any bias.

This short essay is a compilation of special moments from my personal life during the fifteen lonely years since I left Istanbul in 2010 and came to Northern Cyprus as an academic. In these narrative fragments, I will attempt to describe how I have developed a relationship with place, nature and non-human life in this geography over the years. This relationship has evolved through many events, has supported me during difficult times and has embraced me with compassion on my journey toward becoming the “best version of myself.” It is my hope that the fragments of my story offer some insight into the unique relationship between human flourishing and geography, and contribute to a deeper appreciation for both.

This paper explores the profound relationship between beauty and self-transcendent emotions (STEs), such as elevation, awe, compassion, gratitude, humility, and spirituality. It posits that beauty, particularly moral beauty, serves as a primary elicitor of these emotions, fostering both individual and collective well-being through prosocial and altruistic behaviors. The study examines how moral beauty, alongside natural and artistic beauty, activates similar neural processes, notably in the medial prefrontal cortex, and correlates strongly with STEs. Elevation is highlighted as a key STE triggered by moral beauty, inspiring a desire to improve oneself and serve others, while awe, often elicited by vast stimuli, also arises from moral acts, promoting prosociality. Compassion, gratitude, and humility are similarly linked to beauty, with moral beauty playing a central role in their arousal, enhancing community well-being. The paper also connects beauty with spirituality, suggesting that spiritual transcendence overlaps with moral and natural beauty appreciation, potentially amplified by awe-inspiring monumental architecture. The findings underscore the role of beauty, especially moral beauty, as a catalyst for STEs, which drive kindness and human flourishing. The paper calls for further empirical research into the spiritually transformative potential of beauty, particularly through moral exemplars and sacred architecture.

ABSTRACT This paper examines how the meanings of GenAI are socially constructed in classroom practice. Using two illustrative cases of the use of ChatGPT in Norwegian classrooms, the paper analyses the dominant construction of GenAI as “resource” or “text” and relates this textual construction to technology being routinely authorized for schoolwork. Student departures from the traditional model, such as constructing GenAI as a tutor or editor, are examined in tension with traditional practices and for how they are constrained or domesticated by the resource model. Next, drawing from these illustrations, the paper critically reconsiders the early multiliteracies model, which itself is resource-focused, and calls for expansions that permit us to conceive how GenAI is both agent and (generated) resource. The first type of expansion involves understanding how large language models, or LLMs, are active in composing, in addition to the metalanguage of semiotic resources. The second type of expansion calls for new understandings of critical framing to include not only semiotic metalanguage but also modelling language and critical meta-platform consciousness. Together, these considerations lead us to not only expand pedagogies, but also to rethink how social futures may be actively designed towards sustainability, human flourishing, and social justice.

This article explores human development as a holistic process grounded in the Qur’an’s maqāṣid (higher objectives), moving beyond modern approaches that often center narrowly on material and economic indicators. While development thinking shifted in the late twentieth century to focus more directly on human welfare—emphasizing education, fair distribution, and protection of rights—such frameworks emerged late and have struggled to prevent rising poverty, unemployment, and inequality. By contrast, this study describes the Islamic perspective as reflected in the Qur’an, which integrates spiritual, ethical, and social dimensions of development, and then deduces how these maqāṣid lay the foundation for a balanced model of human flourishing. Drawing on classical and contemporary scholarship, including the contributions of Ibn ʿĀshūr, Riḍā, al-Qaraḍāwī, and al-ʿAlwānī, the article outlines core objectives such as refining character, protecting human dignity and life, promoting knowledge and freedom, ensuring justice, and affirming humanity’s role as khulafāʾ (vicegerents) on earth. The study further highlights practical examples from the life of the Prophet in Madinah—such as the establishment of brotherhood, organizing economic and social life, prohibiting ribā (usury), and safeguarding public welfare—that demonstrate how these objectives were translated into practice. Ultimately, the article concludes that the Qur’anic maqāṣid offer a comprehensive, ethically anchored framework for human development that remains profoundly relevant today, emphasizing that genuine progress must harmonize spiritual purpose, moral integrity, and collective responsibility to achieve sustainable human well-being

"The exploitation of the natural environment has been linked by many scholars to cultural and religious worldviews. Lynn White Jr. attributes the origins of nature’s abuse to medieval Western Christianity, arguing that the Biblical account of Creation is fundamentally anthropocentric and thereby facilitates the misuse of the natural world. Numerous scholars have sought to revisit Christian doctrine to demonstrate its compatibility with environmental concern. Furthermore, theologians across various Christian denominations have endeavoured to show that a proper, spiritual understanding of faith necessarily fosters a respectful attitude towards nature. The aim of this article is to further demonstrate that the Western mentality did not regard humanity as entitled to destroy nature for its own purposes, but rather recognised that human flourishing was closely linked to the nurturing of the environment. The starting point will be Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, in which human beings and nature are shown to thrive only in mutual harmony. A more complex relationship between humanity and the natural world is depicted in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, where nature becomes a mirror that reflects humanity’s savage inclinations, which can only be restrained by Christian moral order. The destruction of nature, therefore, is not merely the result of an anthropocentric pursuit of technological knowledge; rather, it arises from an estrangement from Christian civilisation, which leads to the rejection of reason and of any civilising purpose."

Theory Alpha is introduced in this paper as a framework for understanding motivation, wellbeing, and organizational development. It moves beyond traditional models that treat employees primarily as economic resources and instead presents them as whole persons whose psychological, social, and cultural needs must be considered. The theory combines insights from psychology, sociology, and organizational studies, with particular attention to contexts in the Global South. The framework argues that motivation and productivity are inseparable from wellbeing, autonomy, and meaningful work. By recognizing these dimensions, Theory Alpha highlights the importance of psychological safety, supportive leadership, and cultural relevance in workplace design. Unlike approaches that rely only on financial or structural incentives, this perspective places emphasis on human flourishing as the foundation of sustainable performance. The paper outlines the theoretical foundations of Theory Alpha, reviews empirical evidence from both Global North and South contexts, and identifies practical implications for policy and organizational strategy. It concludes that integrating this framework into research and practice can strengthen both individual development and institutional resilience. In doing so, Theory Alpha offers a holistic model that links personal wellbeing with collective organizational success. Keywords: Employee motivation, organizational psychology, Theory Alpha, wellbeing, purpose, autonomy, workplace dynamics, cross-cultural management, human-centered leadership

ABSTRACT Despite commitments to achieving wellbeing for all, as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we still lack conceptual frameworks and corresponding indicators to fully capture what we mean by “wellbeing.” One of the major barriers to achieving and documenting wellbeing is the reliance on Western-centric, economic models for development that have consistently failed to promote wellbeing. Measuring the ingredients for wellbeing, or the barriers to it, therefore requires new conceptual lens. Bringing together three importance conceptual insights including: pluriversalism and epistemic diversity through Indigenous and Global South knowledge frameworks; the agentic-focus of human flourishing and human capabilities; and critical and intersectional feminist scholarship which underscores the significance of power relations and structural inequalities, we advance feminist flourishing as a means of understanding wellbeing beyond economic metrics.