Happiness, Well-being and Sustainability A Course in Systems Change

• Main Authors: Musikanski, Laura, Phillips, Rhonda, Bradbury, James, de Graaf, John, Bliss, Clinton L
• Format: eBook Book
• Language: English
• Published: London Routledge 2021; Taylor and Francis; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Group
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Applied ecology; Assertiveness, motivation, self-esteem and positive mental attitude; community well-being; Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning; ecological sustainability; Ecology; Environment & Health; Environmental Policy; Environmental policy and protocols; Happiness; Health, Relationships and Personal development; Mental Health; Nature; personal happiness; Political Science; Popular psychology; positive change theory; Psychology; Public Policy; Quality of life; Self-help, personal development and practical advice; Social change; Society and Social Sciences; Sustainability Education, Training & Leadership; Textbook; The environment; Well-being; ecological sustainability; GNH; Human Scale Development; Good Life; Gratitude Practices; personal happiness; community well-being; Practicing Mindfulness; Non-violent Resistance; Easterlin Paradox; Hero's Journey; Natural Beauty; Bien Vivir; Measure Happiness; SDG; Public Administration; Conversation Yields; Moon Rise; Rich Poor Gap; positive change theory; Strong Social Safety Net; SDG Indicator; Tim Kasser; High Leverage Point; Universal Basic Income; Encyclical Letter Laudato Si; Circular Economy; Societal Happiness; Paul Stamets
• ISBN: 0367488701; 9780367488727; 9780367488703; 0367488728; 1003043232; 9781003043232; 1000074005; 9781000074000
• DOI: 10.4324/9781003043232

Happiness, Well-being and Sustainability: A Course in Systems Change is the first textbook bridging the gap between personal happiness and sustainable social change. The book provides a guide for students to increase their skills, literacy and knowledge about connections between a sense of well-bein...

Table of Contents:

• Cover -- Endorsements -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- About the authors -- List of figures and tables -- List of text boxes -- About the contributors -- Introduction -- 1 Systems -- Introduction to systems -- Systems and elements -- Highlight: urban or rural planning -- Interdependence -- Highlight: exploring interdependence -- Feedback loops -- Guest coursebook contribution from Kate Pickett -- Highlight: a short history of GDP as a measurement to guide nations -- Highlight: money, income and happiness: the Easterlin paradox -- Highlight: why certain nations are happier -- Highlight: why some poor nations are happier than you would expect -- Leverage points -- Highlight: beekeeping as a leverage point for sustainability and prosperity -- Entry points for systems change -- Change agents -- Highlight: different approaches to change agentry -- Guest coursebook contribution from Lester Kurtz -- 2 Values -- Introduction to values: setting the stage for a thought experiment -- The value of values -- Guest coursebook contribution from Tom Crompton -- What are values? -- What are your values? -- Highlight: exploring the origin of personal values -- Ten common values -- Exploring conflicting values -- Highlight: conflicting values and tragedy -- Two stories -- Wealth, appearance and status values story -- Care and community values story -- The dilemma of societal values and happiness -- Can values change? -- Highlight: exploring biases -- Highlight: a few ingredients for happiness at work -- Revising our thought experiment -- 3 Measuring Happiness -- Why measure happiness -- Highlight: different ways nations measure happiness, well-being and sustainability -- Highlight: change agency and measuring happiness -- Highlight: teaching sustainability -- Connecting happiness, well-being and sustainability through measurements
• How is sustainability measured? -- Measuring happiness subjectively -- Using satisfaction with life data -- Highlight: choices and satisfaction with life -- Highlight: happy jobs -- Using data about how you feel -- Guest coursebook contribution from John C. Havens -- Guest coursebook contribution from Marek Havrda -- Using eudaimonia, flourishing and other data for a good life -- Highlight: four kinds of happiness-hedonism, eudaimonia, flow and chaironic happiness -- Roles for measurements in system -- 4 Individual Happiness -- Individual happiness introduction -- Highlight: why not be happy? -- Highlight: the doctor bliss doctrine -- The science behind mindfulness -- Mindfulness as a theory of positive change -- Four ways to practice mindfulness -- A few last words on mindfulness -- The science behind gratitude -- Reflective gratitude practices -- Expressive gratitude practices -- A few last words on gratitude -- The science behind generosity -- Generosity practices -- A few final words on generosity -- Communication -- Active listening -- Speaking -- Benefits of individual happiness skills checklist -- 5 Needs -- Needs identified -- Not meeting needs: the rich-poor gap -- Highlight: sustainable development -- Highlight: can needs be sustainably met? -- Inequality, misery and happiness -- Highlight: HALT -- Needs and sustainability -- Highlight: a backpacker's theory of life -- Our needs theory -- 6 Sustainability -- Defining sustainability -- Highlight: sustainable and happy communities -- Highlight: beauty, happiness, well-being and sustainability -- Global problems and solutions -- Climate change -- Human population and our ecological footprint -- Guest coursebook contribution from Beth Allgood -- Highlight: will technology save us? -- Highlight: universal basic income -- Sustainable business -- Highlight: the circular economy
• Highlight: externalities -- Connecting sustainability and happiness -- 7 Policy -- Defining policy -- Happiness, well-being and sustainability policies -- Organizational changes for happiness, well-being and sustainability policy -- Highlight: three factors for happiness and well-being in cities -- How to engage in policy making -- Guest coursebook contribution from Jean Crowder -- Closing: your future, our future -- Index