Well-Doing: Personal Projects and the Social Ecology of Flourishing
Has research by psychologists truly advanced our understanding of human flourishing and the quality of lives? Some philosophers (e.g. Nussbaum, J Leg Stud 37(52):S81–S113, 2008)) are sceptical and believe that the models and methods of psychology obscure
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Brian R. Little
Philosophers have explored the nature of human flourishing for over two millennia and in recent decades psychologists have joined in the quest. But have incursions by psychologists truly advanced our understanding of the quality of lives? Not all philosophers are convinced they have. Indeed, Nussbaum (2008) claims that some influential research in positive psychology ignores or obscures features of human lives that are constitutive of flourishing. My goal here is to engage with this debate. I will present the elements of a research program on personality and well-being in which the personal projects of daily lives play a vital role. I propose that flourishing comprises felicitous action or “well-doing” and is achieved through the sustainable pursuit of core personal projects (Little, 2014a, b). This perspective is intended to advance both psychological and philosophical inquiry on the quality of lives. The chapter proceeds as follows: First, I present a social ecological framework in which personal projects are the pivotal units of analysis. Second, I review how analyzing the content, appraisal and impact of personal projects provides a granular analysis of diverse aspects of well-being. Third, I propose a research agenda in which psychologists and philosophers continue
to join forces to illuminate and enhance the quality of lives.
19.1
Personal Projects and the Social Ecology of Flourishing
Personal projects are extended sets of personally salient activity in context. They can range from the mundane tasks of Monday mornings (e.g. “change my print cartridge yet again”) to the defining aspirations of a lifetime (e.g. “be a better social justice warrior”) (Little, 1983, 1989).1 Personal projects may be solitary, selfish pursuits but they may also be capacious and wholly altruistic. Each project may facilitate or frustrate other projects, both within the individual and between people. As sources of fun, pleasure and delight personal projects can promote hedonic wellbeing; as sources of value, meaning and selfexpression they can promote eudaimonic well-being. Personal projects research has been developed within a social ecological framework (Little, 2000; Little & Ryan, 1979; Little, Salmela-Aro &
1
Like most psychological research our samples are largely WEIRD (i.e. white, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) (see Henrich, Heine and Norenzayan (2010) although that is gradually changing in our own research program. 297 © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 J. Vittersø (ed.), Handbook of Eudaimonic Well-Being, International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-42445-3_19 B.R. Little (*) University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK e-mail: [email protected]
B.R. Little
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A
Stable Context Features
Stable Person Features
Cultural norms, relatively fixed features of environment (natural, built)
Traits, abilities, enduring orientations
C
Dynamic Context Features
Dynamic Person Features
D
Personal contexts, restorative niches
Free traits, role enactme
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