The Oxford Handbook of Happiness

Abstract

In recent decades there has been a shift in focus from psychological and social problems-what might be called the "dark side" of humanity-to human well-being and flourishing. The Positive Psychology movement, along with changes in attitudes toward organisational and societal health, has generated a surge of interest in human happiness. The Oxford Handbook of Happiness is the definitive text for researchers and practitioners interested in human happiness. Its editors and chapter contributors are world leaders in the investigation of happiness across the fields of psychology, education, philosophy, social policy and economics. The study of happiness is at the nexus of four major scientific developments: the growing field of Positive Psychology which researches the conditions that make people flourish, advances in the biological and affective sciences which have contributed to the understanding of positive emotions, Positive Organizational Scholarship, an emerging discipline aimed at investigating and fostering excellence in organisations, and findings from economics indicating that traditional markers of economic and societal well-being are insufficient. The Oxford Handbook of Happiness offers readers a coherent, multi-disciplinary, and accessible text on the current state-of-the-art in happiness research. This volume features ten sections that focus on psychological, philosophical, evolutionary, economic and spiritual approaches to happiness, happiness in society, education, organisations and relationships, and the assessment and development of happiness. Readers will find information on psychological constructs such as resilience, flow, and emotional intelligence, theories including broaden-and-build and self-determination, and explorations of topics including collective virtuousness, psychological capital, coaching, environmental sustainability and economic growth. This handbook will be useful to academics, practitioners, teachers, students, and all those interested in theory and research on human happiness.