Human Flourishing Research Articles

Gendering visions of the postcolonial modernist state through names: a literary onomastic analysis of Nii Ayikwei Parkes’s Tail of the Blue Bird (2009)

African literature is a crucial arena for deconstructing norms, and imagining communities or alternative modes of sociality and being. In many postcolonial African literary works, particularly those grappling with the legacy of European colonisation and the challenges of nation-building, the modernist state is frequently depicted as an entity emblematic of violence and dispossession inflicted upon the populace. However, it is also sometimes portrayed as offering a degree of hope and possibility amidst the turmoil. Drawing on literary onomastics and insights from Rights and Feminist theories, the article examines Parkes’ strategic use of names to articulate ethicality in Tail of the Blue Bird. Parkes argues for a true decolonisation by radically replacing and reassessing the patriarchal ideology that creates violence and trauma in postcolonial societies. This should happen by embracing the feminine principles represented by the main female characters in the novel. The article shows that the semiotics and character roles of Esi Mensisi and Yaa Somu as women constitute crucial sites for Parkes’ rumination on human flourishing and ethicality in the postcolonial modernist state. The article has implications for studies on literary onomastics, characterisation, and how African writers attempt to reimagine postcolonial politics and sociality.

Koncept spirituality v pedagogice: Přehledová studie

The study provides an overview and systematization of key theoretical approaches to the phenomenon of spirituality since second half of the 20th century and shows their implications for contemporary pedagogical research and discourse. For this purpose, the different approaches are differentiated based on their disciplinary origin. These are approaches rooted in 1) the psychology of religion and spirituality, focusing on the relationship between spirituality and human experience, thought, and behaviour; 2) the philosophy and theory of education, discussing educational goals, forms and methods; and 3) the “science of well-being,” which combines the perspective of subjective experience and standardized indicators of human flourishing. The study highlights the key ideas and concepts of each approach, opening the discussion on the possible direction of pedagogical research in this area.

Nurturing the Capabilities to Aspire, Voice and Realise Aspirations: A Theoretical Analysis of the Transformative Potential of the National Health Service in England

ABSTRACT This article contributes to understanding the transformative potential of institutions, such as the National Health Service in England (NHS), to engage those they serve, nurturing their aspirations and capabilities to support human flourishing. In pursuing a “fully engaged” scenario as described by Derek Wanless in Securing our Future Health (2002), an argument is made for nurturing the capabilities to aspire, voice and realise aspirations. The fully engaged scenario aspires towards higher levels of public engagement in relation to individual and community health and wellbeing; more efficient use of resources; overall improvements in health outcomes and a reduction in health inequalities. The discussion offers a critical evaluation of the recent emergence of a personalised care approach in the NHS in England, and specifically the role of Health and Wellbeing Coaches, in supporting this endeavour. Core capability and aspiration concepts are explicated to develop a conceptual framework to appraise the transformational potential of personalised care approaches in the NHS in England. The ensuing analysis is especially relevant as the recently elected Labour government prepares for a new ten-year plan for NHS reformation.

Indigenous Knowledge on the Management of Ungomwa among the Ndau of South-Eastern Zimbabwe

The article explores the indigenous Ndau people’s conceptualisation of ungomwa (infertility) and its management. More specifically, I investigated the Ndau beliefs and practices around ungomwa. I conducted a literature review, informal conversations and made observations for data collection. I delimited the study to causes of infertility among Ndau males, its detection, effects, and how it is managed within Ndau cosmology. The findings showed that, although beliefs on ungomwa were varied, it is an undesirable condition. It results in childlessness, which presents serious problems; victims suffer personal grief and frustration, social stigma, and ostracism. Using an indigenous knowledge perspective in a patriarchal Ndau community, I argue that men want to maintain their ego and masculine grandstanding in the community and usually blame women for the infertility. More important to note is that there are indigenous knowledge systems that can be employed to (mis)manage infertility if detected early at youth. If detected when a man is already in marriage, measures are put in place to ensure children are born in the family. I argue that ungomwa is a gendered, cultural, and psycho-social sexual reproductive health challenge that can be innovatively managed for human flourishing.

Joshua W. Jipp, Pauline Theology as a Way of Life: A Vison of Human Flourishing in Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023), pp. x + 278. $37.99

Joshua W. Jipp, Pauline Theology as a Way of Life: A Vison of Human Flourishing in Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023), pp. x + 278. $37.99

Pilgrims or project managers: premodern challenges for contemporary students

Presenting an alternative to the prevailing emphasis on what constitutes knowledge – knowledge as the fruit of scientific method, something that is objective and detached from the self – I argue for a critical retrieval of premodern approaches to knowledge that were promoted within the Eastern and Western Christian tradition, approaches that are spiritual in nature. I propose that spiritual modes of knowing should be considered alongside other forms of knowing, in service of a richer, more holistic approach to higher education, one that does justice to the multidimensional aspects of human nature, development, formation and flourishing. While not denying the necessity and value of many current forms of knowledge, I propose that students should also be offered opportunities to become familiar with complementary modes of knowing that are likely to extend the repertoire of the ways they read and respond to the world, other people and their experience of life. Such premodern Christian approaches privileged self-giving and self-control, rather than mastery over or control of what was investigated. Their epistemology viewed intellectual, moral and spiritual virtues as intimately interconnected. They considered knowledge to be something revealed and given rather than constructed or exposed by our methodology. The paper considers the educational potential for students today of learning from the premodern emphasis on knowledge as dependent on both ascetic training and affective formation, as entailing capacitation (being attuned to or fitted for external reality), and as promoting self-knowledge and transformation. I contrast premodern and contemporary approaches to knowledge through the metaphors of pilgrim and project manager.

Human Flourishing as the Aim of Physical Education?

ABSTRACT To present human flourishing (the pursuit of a good life) as the aim of physical education, this paper (1) outlines the need for a new professional aim, (2) synthesizes neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics, (3) reviews a philosophy of flourishing physical education, (4) presents critiques for the field to address, and (5) articulates an example, flourishing-oriented program based on the ideal of the virtuous mover. For if the philosophy of human flourishing and ideal of the flourishing student is indeed here to stay, it will be up to the field to determine whether it ought to become its overarching aim or at least be considered as a central objective within the profession. In conclusion, whatever decision we come to regarding the aim and purpose of the profession will ultimately influence the field in (un)foreseeable ways and subsequently the hopes, dreams, and experiences we aspire to create for years to come.

Towards an Anthropological Perspective on Human Flourishing in Education

ABSTRACT While many recognise the impact formal education has on human flourishing, often overlooked are the forces in society that shape our conception of the good life. Our understanding of flourishing is formed as much by the culture we live in as by the classrooms we learn in. This oversight impacts our ability to think clearly about flourishing because it keeps us from seeing the foundations upon which our idea of the good life is built. Contending that the language used by psychologists often reduces our understanding of human flourishing and existence we argue that the notion of the good life many of us adopt simply by existing in our modern therapeutic culture has been deeply distorted. On this basis, we advance a corrective for constricted therapeutic conceptions of flourishing, arguing that human flourishing needs ‘anthropology’ in two senses – one employed by social scientists and one by theologians and philosophers – and we make the case for the educational importance of turning to ‘anthropologies of the good’ as a positive, constructive examination of flourishing that is philosophically and theologically sophisticated enough to parse the several empirical investigations of human nature and bring clarity and insight to their findings.

Putting the South back into Global South: SoTL as scholarly and social activism

In unpacking the theme of ‘Sustainable Futures for Teaching and Learning’, I explore the discourse of ‘grand challenges’ for SoTL in the South. I offer provocations to unsettle the premise that these challenges are in fact universally ‘grand’ and question our acceptance of the trope that what applies to the North applies equally to the South. In higher education (HE), themes like futures thinking and sustainability have enormous purchase as they encourage innovation to shape a better future. I challenge our complicity as SoTL authors in taking up these themes uncritically. I invite us all to consider how much our location and context in the Global South matter as an explanatory framework for the teaching and learning challenges we face and whether we can use our context as a locus of enunciation for the scholar-activist work we are called on to do. As long as our teaching contexts, linked to historical coloniality and the matrices of power, are sub-optimal for our students to thrive and succeed, we have an obligation to activate scholarly awareness and action towards bringing these into balance. My hope is that through collective scholar-activism, we enter a social imaginary where the world is socially inclusive and morally just, where location and context are immaterial to the possibilities that exist for human flourishing.

Conceptualising global cultural transformation—developing deep institutional scenarios for whole of society change

Abstract This paper aims to contribute to current efforts to improve methodologies to find more ambitious and integrated strategies to jointly pursue the Paris climate target and other Sustainable Development Goals. It suggests a means of further expanding the underlying societal perspectives in scenarios modelling through a model of deep institutional innovation for sustainability and human development (DIIS), which aims to reframe the narrative from sociotechnical transition to deep global cultural transformation. The paper posits the need for capturing irreversible transformation change through a fundamental reimagining of the key social institutions that together comprise contemporary societies. To illustrate the application of the DIIS framing to pathway scenarios an indicative scenario is offered to indicate the radical global cultural changes required to move to pathways capable of bringing about greater sustainability and human flourishing.

Joshua W. Jipp, Pauline Theology as a Way of Life: A Vision of Human Flourishing in Christ

Joshua W. Jipp, Pauline Theology as a Way of Life: A Vision of Human Flourishing in Christ

Making Tangible the Long-Term Harm Linked to the Chilling Effects of AI-enabled Surveillance: Can Human Flourishing Inform Human Rights?

AbstractAI-enabled State surveillance capabilities are likely to exert chilling effects whereby individuals modify their behavior due to a fear of the potential consequences if that behavior is observed. The risk is that chilling effects drive individuals towards the mainstream, slowly reducing the space for personal and political development. This could prove devastating for individuals’ ability to freely develop their identity and, ultimately, for the evolution and vibrancy of democratic society. As it stands, human rights law cannot effectively conceptualize this cumulative, longer-term, harm, and so cannot accurately evaluate the cost/benefit of AI tools, risking irreparable harm. As chilling effects impact individuals’ ability to live a good, self-determined life, the concept of human flourishing is relevant. This article engages with Aristotelian naturalism, the life-satisfaction approach, and the capabilities approach to determine which best resonates with the concept of identity as relevant to chilling effects and human rights law. It concludes that the capabilities approach may overcome some of the problems associated with the human rights law approach and may provide a framework capable of capturing both the intricate processes of free identity development and of conceptualizing the harm linked to AI surveillance. The challenge, however, is to ‘operationalize’ this approach.

Valuing animal livesMeet the Neighbors: Animal Minds and Life in a More-Than-Human World Brandon Keim Norton, 2024. 368 pp.

A journalist advocates "informed coexistence" for human and animal flourishing.

Dwelling in Active Serenity: Nature in Werner Herzog’s Cinema

Abstract This article puts Werner Herzog’s films in dialogue with Martin Heidegger’s philosophy to answer the question of how to dwell, to be at home with nature. I argue that an apathy–empathy aporia blockades the discussion of the nature–human relationship in Herzog’s cinema, which tends to view his representation of nature as either entirely apathetic to human flourishing or totally identifiable with being human. Both versions of nature fail to do full justice to the nuanced vision of nature in Herzog, especially its dynamics and problematics as a safe place. To address this problem, I will closely read and compare three of his films across his career: Aguirre, The Wrath Of God (1972), Grizzly Man (2005), and Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (2010) in the light of Heidegger’s philosophy. Drawing on Heidegger’s thought on dwelling, technology, being-in-the-world, temporality, Gelassenheit, and Care, I move away from the standard paradigm and reinterpret the nature–human relationship in Herzog as a negotiation between the homely and the unhomely in search of an equilibrium I call “active serenity.” Thus, this article is both a film-philosophy experiment with Herzog and Heidegger and a contemplation of the antagonism between humans and nature, which underlines our modern world.

What is the humanistic and ethical value of the “logic of gift” in business relationships? A conceptual approach

AbstractOne conventional view of businesses is to reduce them to mere performers of economic transactions in an exercise of exchange based on the “logic of self‐interest,” and under the criterion do ut des, meaning “I give in order that you may give.” Drawing from personalist philosophy, this article argues that financial and organizational interactions are encounters, relations between persons, not mere economic transactions. Furthermore, people involved in business have the capacity to establish relations of gratuity with others under the criterion do propter alterum, that is, “give to the other as another,” without expecting a return. This criterion is at the core of the “logic of gift.” We argue that giving authentic gifts is intrinsically good, since it contributes to the human flourishing of those who practice this behavior. Implementing the “logic of gift” is also beneficial for the company because it contributes to humanizing the company. In addition, applying the logic of gift will probably bring about trust and social cohesion between people, with positive consequences for business performance, which is consistent with previous findings.

Exploring determinants of flourishing: a comprehensive network analysis of retirees in Taiwan

BackgroundHuman flourishing is an emerging concept, extending beyond the conventional boundaries of subjective well-being and evolving into a comprehensive capture of the diverse dimensions of human life within complex societal structures. Therefore, moving away from traditional approaches centered on the single latent construct, this study aims to explore the multiple aspects of human flourishing and the intricate interplay of their contributing factors.MethodsData were collected from the Health and Living Environments Survey of Taiwanese Retirees during 2023 (valid sample n = 1,111). Human flourishing was measured using the Secure Flourish Index developed by Harvard University, which includes 12 indicators: (1) life satisfaction, (2) happiness, (3) mental health, (4) physical health, (5) meaning in life, (6) sense of purpose, (7) promoting good, (8) delaying gratification, (9) content relationships, (10) satisfying relationships, (11) financial stability, and (12) material stability. A mixed graphical network analysis was employed to analyze the related determinants, divided into four groups: (a) sociodemographic factors, (b) physical functions and health status, (c) social and family engagement, and (d) community environmental characteristics as nodes.ResultsWe analyzed 31 variables and identified 133 nonzero edges out of 465 potential connections in the comprehensive network. Results showed that happiness and promoting good were the two most critical indicators influencing retirees’ overall flourishing. Different flourishing indicators were also associated with various influential factors. For instance, personal characteristics, especially gender and education, emerged as central factors. Family caregiving negatively affected happiness and financial stability, whereas social engagement was positively associated with life satisfaction and meaning in life. Employment status had mixed effects, negatively associated with life satisfaction but positively associated with mental health. Community environments, such as a sense of community and neighborhood safety, generally enhanced flourishing. However, the accessibility of neighborhood resources was paradoxically associated with material stability, pointing to the complexity of environmental factors in human flourishing.ConclusionThis study provides a comprehensive network analysis that reveals intricate connections between personal, behavioral, and environmental factors, offering profound insights for targeted interventions to foster human flourishing.

Reconsidering the ‘Ten Myths’ about Character Education

ABSTRACT Is character education flawed as an approach to values education? A 2013 article answered that question in the negative and defused ten common objections against character education as ‘myths’. The aim of the present article is to revisit those objections and consider the evidence that has accumulated since 2013. After a brief historical and conceptual rehearsal, the core section of the article is taken up with reminders of the original arguments rebutting each myth, complemented with additional updated, and more extensive, considerations that were not available at the time. The original article contained a section on ‘three well-founded misgivings’. We argue that none of those misgivings is as relevant in today’s climate as they were in 2013. However, we acknowledge that those misgivings have been superseded by new challenges that test the theoretical flexibility and empirical credibility of character education. To ensure that those interested in human flourishing can continue to dispel myths about character education and address the most pressing challenges in the field, we close with some reflections on the future of character education and where we see its next ideal academic destinations to be.

Aproximación al Buen Vivir: Una experiencia de emprendimiento por mujeres de la zona rural

The concept of Good Living plays a crucial role in relation to the community and becomes an opportunity to improve the quality of life. This article systematizes the entrepreneurship experience with peasant women from the rural area of Villamaría, Caldas, Colombia, as a contribution to human flourishing. This research followed the guidelines of the Alforja Network, which proposes a systematization framed within dialectical, systemic, and holistic approaches to popular education. The results are presented in three phases: characterization of the families, the environment, and the entrepreneurship production; interdisciplinary accompaniment and sustainability through the structuring of networks and alliances. The experience reflects the ability of women for the Good Living of themselves and their families, collective organization, and innovation. Additionally, it highlights the importance of the role of the State in strengthening local development through the production chain, preserving its rural identity in the context of equitable processes.

Exploring Impediments to Human Flourishing Across the Lifespan in Six African Countries

AbstractHuman flourishing (HF) is fundamental in fostering development in every sector of human communities throughout the world. Understanding the concept of human flourishing is essential in identifying and limiting practices that may impede human’s tendency to flourish. Most research on HF have been focused on the minority world and devoted to factors that foster it with minimal regard for the impediments and perspectives from the majority world. Based on this, the study aims to explore the impediments to human flourishing across the lifespan in Africa. Specifically, it examines factors that impede human flourishing in three age groups (children, adolescents, and adults). Empirical data were collected qualitatively through focus group discussion sessions and expert interviews with children, adolescents, and adults from communities in 6 African countries (Marachi, Eteso and Turkana of Kenya, the Sukuma of Tanzania, the Bantu and Nilo Hamites of Uganda, the Amhara of Ethopia, the Nso and Nweh of Cameroon and the Akan of Ghana). After the thematic analysis, the findings revealed that; inevitable factors like death and other issues that can be improved on like poverty, conflict, selfishness, immoral behavior and ill health impede human flourishing across the life span. However, other impediments identified were age specific. Marriage challenges impeded flourishing among adult folks while lack of sufficient play time impeded children’s flourishing. An intervention on coping strategies to deal with inevitable impeding factors to human flourishing like death and strategies to improve on all the other manageable impediments is vital for the enhancement of flourishing in Africa.

Brazilian children’s theories of empathy: Exploring character through art

ABSTRACT Though academic research and public policy have directed much attention to how education can promote empathy in children, fewer studies have examined exactly how children define empathy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brazilian NGO Usina da Imaginação engaged in a long series of arts and storytelling workshops with children across the socioeconomic spectrum and then used research methods from ethnography, literary studies, and documentary film to hear children’s ideas and theories about alterity, solidarity, and empathy. These interviews showed that for this group of children, art is a transpersonal feeling: one girl described music as a synapse capable not only of connecting neurons within a brain, but of connecting one brain with another. A close genealogy of these children’s theories shows how they emerge from both indigenous and afro-Brazilian practices of esthetic sociality, valuing being-together as a principal element of human flourishing and valuing collective art as a privileged part of that process.