Understanding Well-Being

Isaac Prilleltensky

isaac@miami.edu

www.education.miami.edu/isaac

The Grameen Bank

-Muhammad Yunus gave credit to poorest of poor in Bangladesh

-Grew Grameen Bank to 5 million people cooperative

- Lifted millions out of indigence

Overview of Presentation

Well-Being Signs and Sources

Personal Organizational Community

What is Well-being?: A simple definitionWell-being is a positive state of affairs, brought

about by the simultaneous satisfaction of personal, organizational, and collective needs of individuals and communities

Research on Well-being

There cannot be well-being but in the combined presence of personal, organizational and community well-being

Sites, signs, sources, and strategies of well-being

Sites of well-being

Personal Organizational Community

Signs Personal

Organizational

Community

Sources Personal

Organizational

Community

Strategies Personal

Organizational

Community

Signs, sources, and strategies of personal well-being

Sites of well-being

Personal Organizational Community

Signs Personal Control

Organizational

Community

Sources Personal Experiences of efficacy

Organizational

Community

Strategies Personal empowerment

Organizational

Community

Signs, sources, and strategies of organizational well-being –

Sites of well-being

Personal Organizational Community

Signs Personal

Organizational Participatory structures

Community

Sources Personal

Organizational Culture of respect

Community

Strategies Personal

Organizational Conflict resolution

Community

Signs, sources, and strategies of community well-being

Sites of well-being

Personal Organizational Community

Signs Personal

Organizational

Community Free of child abuse

Sources Personal

Organizational

Community Investment in parenting and children

Strategies Personal

Organizational

Community Policies for early intervention

Personal signs, sources and strategies of well-being

Sites of well-being

Personal Organizational Community

Signs Personal Control Workers satisfaction

Sense of community

Organizational

Community

Sources Personal Voice and choice in life

Workers skilled in team work

Contribution to common good

Organizational

Community

Strategies Personal Empowerment Empathy Social conscience

Organizational

Community

What can organizations do for workers?

Sites of well-being

Personal Organizational Community

Signs Personal

Organizational Work satisfaction

Community

Sources Personal

Organizational Opportunities for control

Community

Strategies Personal

Organizational Voice and choice in team

Community

What can the community do for us?

Sites of well-being

Personal Organizational Community

Signs Personal

Organizational

Community Community health

Sources Personal

Organizational

Community High quality health and education

Strategies Personal

Organizational

Community Laws to protect us

What can we do for the community?

Sites of well-being

Personal Organizational Community

Signs Personal Foster sense of community

Organizational

Community

Sources Personal Volunteer and vote

Organizational

Community

Strategies Personal Raise awareness of environment

Organizational

Community

Signs of Personal Well-being

Sense of control Physical health Love Optimism Competence Dignity Growth Self-esteem Meaning and spirituality

Ora and Matan: A Family Strengths Story

Who might die younger due to lack of control and stress in life? A. Senior executives B. Middle managers C. Clerical workers, secretaries D. Unskilled labor E. A and B

Sir Michael Marmot and control over your life

Risk of Death by Employmentand Level of Control Marmot, Whitehall Studies

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Adminis Prof Clerical Other

EFFECTS OF SOCIAL SUPPORT

Less likely to have heart attacks Some evidence that are more likely to survive

cancer (challenged lately) More likely to resist common cold virus Lower mortality Less degree of stress More positive outlook on life Resilience

Sources of Personal Well-Being

Biological and Constitutional Factors Early Parenting Experiences Emotional Intelligence Supportive Relationships in Multiple Contexts

and Settings Opportunities for growth, engagement and

self-determination

Low

Low

High

Hig

h

HighLow

Effective Environment

Affective Environment

Reflective Environment

Signs of Organizational Well-Being:ERA Environments

Organizational Well-Being

Efficient structures Clear roles and communication Monitoring mechanisms Vision and purpose Learning and growth opportunities Sense of control Identity and meaning

Signs of Community Well-being

Social justice and equality Liberation from oppressive forces Quality education Adequate health and social services Economic prosperity Adequate housing Clean and safe environment Support for community structures

Sources of Community Well-being

Poverty Power Participation

Geography and social capital

In what of the following states there is the highest level of social capital A. Alabama B. California C. New York D. Vermont E. Georgia

Social capital and community well-being

low med high

healthwelfare

educationtolerance

crime

Low SC: LA, MS, GAMed SC: CA, MO, OKHi SC: ND, SD, VT, MN

Male Life Expectancy by InequalityWatch unnatural consequences

64

66

68

70

72

74

76

78

GINI24.5

GINI31.5

GINI35.5

GINI 45USA W

GINI 45USAAA

Swed/Jap

Australia

Canada

USA White

USA Afri. Amer.

Colombia: Happy but Dead

Highest rate of murders per capita in the world Highest number of kidnappings in the world

Colombia 5181 in 7 years Mexico 1269 Brazil 515 Venezuela 109 Severe under reporting

Colombians report highest level of satisfaction 8.31 (out of 10) in the world in the 90s

Is happiness really a genetic phenomenon? Lykken and Tellegen (1996, Psychological Science). In the Minnesota twins study, authors report, “Neither socioeconomic status, educational

attainment, family income, marital status, not an indicant of religious commitment could account for more than about 3% of the variance in WB” (in monozygotic twins)

“We estimate that the heritability of the stable component of subjective well-being approaches 80%”

Change in life satisfaction over the years(Inglehart, 2004)

Russia’s happiness and satisfaction plunges

Income is not everything though

Wealth matters for life expectancy

Chinese happiness and democracy

The connections between objective and subjective conditions and outcomes

Conditions

objective

subjective

+

-

+

++

--

-

objective

subjective

Well-being

The Case of Colombia

Conditions

objective

subjective

+

-

+

++

--

-

objective

subjective

Well-being

crime

hope

The Case of Relative Deprivation in Sweden and UK: How the worst off fare

Conditions

objective

subjective

+

-

+

++

--

-

objective

subjective

Well-being

Low co

ntro

l / hig

h de

man

d

High

effo

rt / l

ow re

ward

Higher morbidity

Unfair

ness

Cake of Well-being

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

EmploymentJusticeSafety netsQuality education

Child careGood schoolsAdequate housingCohesionAccess to health care

Good parentingMutual SupportGood mental health

Easy temperamentPhysical healthAdequate birth weight

Mountain of Risk

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

Values, ResourcesPrograms, Policies

PovertyInjusticeViolenceDiscrimination

No child carePoor housingLack of cohesionCrime

Teen parentingFamily sizeStressorsPoor parentingAddictionsPoor mental health

Poor temperamentPoor healthBirth weight

Ecological Model of Well-Being

Sites of Well-Being

Individual Relational Organizational Communal Environmental

Objective signs health networks resources social capital

low emissions

SubjectiveSigns

efficacy voice support belonging safety

Values as source and strategy

autonomy caring participation diversity protection of resources

Justice as source and strategy

My due/Our due

Your due/Our due

Its due/Our due

Their due/Our due

Nature’s due/Our due

Model of Well-Being:Some positive and negative factors

Sites of Well-Being

Individual Relational Organizational Communal Environmental

Objective signs +health- illness

+networks-isolation

+resources- lack of resources

-social capital-lack of trust

+clean air-pollution

Subjectivesigns

+efficacy-lack of control

+voice-repression

+support-isolation

+belonging-rejection

+safety-fear

Values as source and strategy

+autonomy-lack of power

+caring-neglect

+participation-marginality

+diversity-discrimination

+protection of resources-depletion of resources

Justice as source and strategy

My due/Our due

Your due/Our due

Its due/Our due Their due/Our due

Nature’s due/Our due

Expanded definition of well-being

Well-being is a positive state of affairs in individuals, relationships, organizations, communities, and the natural environment, brought about by the simultaneous and balanced satisfaction of objective and subjective needs; and by the behavioral manifestation of material and psychological justice in these five ecological domains.