Well-Being and Beyond : Broadening the Public and Policy Discourse

This book will broaden the public and policy discourse on the importance of well-being by examining psychological, social, environmental, economic, organizational, institutional and political determinants of individual well-being. The public policy discourse on well-being and its indicators has become more active in recent years. However, the vast majority of mainstream policy-making remains unchanged; still couched in the post-war material deprivation framework. The scope needs to be widened beyond an overarching focus on economic success. Turning the discussion to well-being opens the door to the understanding gained by a much broader tranche of those researching human lives across the social and health sciences. This book will be of interest to individuals following the current public and policy debates about well-being, as well as to policy-makers in fields of social and health care, environmental planning, urban development, and innovation, industrial and economic policy.