Wellbeing
Introduction
The literature provided for this assignment will critically explore the relevance and the application of the concept of wellbeing within my organisational setting. My organisational setting is a Further Education College based in Cardiff, South Wales. My role in this institution is to deliver education and training in the vocational trade of plastering. Cardiff is now a diverse and multicultural city and many of the students that attend our college evolve from different social, economic and religious backgrounds as well as having variable capabilities. As a provider of education and training, it is important that we implement policies and procedures that meet the needs of the community by promoting inclusion and addressing inequalities. Every student is treated as an individual and we strive to eliminate discrimination and overcome the disadvantages that exist in society these days that have treated some groups less favourably than others. My duty as an educator is to provide my learners with a positive learning environment and to support their wellbeing by providing challenging, interactive and good quality learning experiences.
Wellbeing
The psychology of wellbeing has been studied since the times of Aristotle, for two millennia, man has sought the highest good for himself, happiness. The notion of happiness remains vague and multifarious, yet every human being searches for it. However, how to define and obtain happiness has and continues to be a widely debated issue. In Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle gives his view on happiness. According to Aristotle, various types of people pursue different outcomes; ordinary people seek pleasure, whereas others say that seeking glory is the greatest good. There must be a greater good than glory. Plato suggests that there is only one form of good and that all good things are viewed in the same way. This theory does have flaws considering the range of things we call ‘good’ and the variety of ways in which we deem goodness. According to Aristotle, “Happiness depends on ourselves”, more than anybody else. To define happiness the purpose and function of man must be considered. Aristotle states that man is unique because of his ability to reason. Human happiness is a lifelong process and a continuous path with the purpose as the end itself. Happiness is an inner activity one of the soul and in that is an on-going actualisation of the soul’s potential for virtue. Virtue can be either intellectual or moral. Intellectual virtue is the ability to self-reason, whilst moral virtue, on the other hand, corresponds to the desiring self. However, moral virtue could possibly be destroyed by excess. In conclusion living life to reason and being virtuous is self- sufficient and therefore leads to human happiness.

Wellbeing is most commonly used in philosophy to describe what is ultimately good for an individual. The underlying question is what wellbeing consists of. A person’s wellbeing is what is ‘good for them’. Health can be said to be constituent to a person’s wellbeing, but there is more to it than just this. Wellbeing encompasses the negative (what is bad for them) and positive (what is good for them) aspects of how a person’s life goes for them. Aristotle says that men and pleasure are connected and men enjoy a life filled with pleasure. Aristotle continues to say that men should live moderately, as humans they have a tendency to want to acquire more. In order to live, a life of goodness you need the correct balance, health (goods of the body) wealth (external goods) and virtue (goods of the soul). The philosophy of wellbeing and how we can measure the wellbeing of individuals has become an interest to social scientists, educators, economists and governments. A sense of wellbeing is what we all search for during our lives for one to have that flourishing feeling and outlook that life is amazing. Pearsall (2003, p.238) defines flourishing as;
“this is feeling intensely and authentically alive, physically well, filled with emotional vitality, intensely and lovingly connected with others, and having optimistic thoughts and hopeful feelings about work, life, play and interpersonal relationships”. The Oxford English Dictionary defines wellbeing, “The state of being or doing well in life”. (Friedli, 2009) asserts that wellbeing, ‘it’s a hearts and minds thing’, a subjective evaluation of how we feel about and experience our lives, including; How we feel, How we think, Relationships, Meaning and Purpose. Wellbeing can be either objective or subjective. Objective refers to materials and social circumstances that encourage or decimates persons from the sense of wellbeing. Subjective wellbeing is defined as a persons’ own cognitive and affective evaluation of their own life, (White, 2006). Wellbeing is often measured by how happy and satisfied one is with life and is too often confused with the quest for pleasure, there is a lot more to wellbeing than just living the good life, it is about having goals and maximising your potential, (Eckersley, 2005).
There are many constituent elements to a person's wellbeing; it is an intricate combination of a person's emotional, social, physical and mental health factors. Wellbeing affects all areas of our society. Originally, it was used to avoid the negative implications towards mental illness; however, it would be inappropriate to suggest that this is the extent of its use. The concept of 'Wellbeing' has greatly increased with the introduction of positive psychology. It was the early humanistic psychologists; Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers that promoted a more positive psychology in the 1950s and 1960s. Rogers, along with other humanists shared the same assumption of the humanistic psychology; that people are generally good and that they are driven to fulfil their potential by choosing their own behaviour to do so. Rogers asked the question why, when we live in a society that in so many respects immeasurably rich, so many of us are so unhappy. The answer in Rogers’ view is that we attach value to things that may not be good for our psychological wellbeing. Their work was welcomed, they used a gentler approach with a more optimistic alternative view to the dominating clinical and behavioural orientations during a period of time when psychology emphasised more on the study of rats and sick individuals rather than the healthy population, (Pearsall,2003). However, mental health is essential to a person’s good health, well-being and quality of life. It influences how everyone thinks, feels, communicates and understands. It allows us to manage our lifestyles successfully and to live our lives to its full potential. There is no health without mental health. Dr Martin Seligman is a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Seligman’s research and exploration has helped to advance the field of positive psychology. Positive psychology has many different definitions, which all point to roughly the same thing, a ‘science of wellbeing’ and a scientific study of strengths and virtues. Positive psychology focuses on human prospering while other forms of psychology lean towards dysfunction and abnormal behaviour. Positive psychology can be summarised in the words of its founder Martin Seligman “as the scientific study of optimal human functioning that aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive”. (Seligman 2002) states that Positive Psychology is studied in three areas, first, positive emotion; what we feel, pleasure, warmth and comfort. The focus is also on contentment from the past, happiness in the present and hope for the future. Second, positive traits study; is the study of strengths and virtues, the capacity to love and work and engagement in life. Third is the study of positive institutions, this entails the study on strengths that build better communities, areas such as parenting, justice, teamwork and purpose and tolerance. Seligman (2002) cited in Pearsall (2003, p202) says there needs to be more focus on optimistic and positive psychology and highlighted that there has been far too much emphasis on how people become sick. As previously mentioned Seligman (2002) asserts the need to be more optimistic, so are we naturally born optimists or pessimists, or can we learn to have a more positive outlook. Some Psychologists will argue that optimism is an inherited trait, but there is also evidence that we learn at an early age how to view the world and its potential from those around us. Optimism is a learnable skill and it can start in the home, there is no better time to teach children than before they reach puberty. Children learn through imitation, they tend to learn through observing their parents so it is critical for parents to act positively for their children to learn optimism. To enable children to learn optimism parents also need to allow their children to take risks, by allowing children to take risks will help them deal with frustration and learn how to cope with challenges; this will help them to learn the skill of optimism. Optimism is strongly and positively linked with wellbeing, researchers have found that people with a pessimistic focus were more susceptible to depression and frequent health problems. Seligman (1991) attributes this to the “learned helplessness” response “that follows from the belief that whatever you do doesn’t matter.” “Learned helplessness”, is influenced by one’s “explanatory style, which is the manner in which you habitually explain to yourself why events happen.” Therefore, having an optimistic explanatory style prevents depression, while a pessimistic explanatory style increases helplessness.
By your children, learning to be optimistic may result in benefits such as, better health, less stress, become better problem solvers and being successful in school, work and sports activities. Also by being optimistic and having the ability to make permanent and pervasive explanations for positive events, as well as temporary and specific explanations for negative events, will quickly help those get through their troubles. In 2008, the Government Office for Science published a report based on advice from experts in economics, social sciences and ethics, neuroscience, genetics, mental development, psychology, psychiatry and sciences relating to education, work and wellbeing. The aim of ‘The Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project’ was to use the best scientific evidence available to develop a vision on the challenges and opportunities facing the UK over the next 20 years and beyond and the implications for everyone’s “mental capital “and “mental wellbeing”. The project evaluated many areas of science to develop a deeper understanding of how mental capital and wellbeing evolves through a life cycle, and to identify which aspects are most critical for meeting future challenges. The project pathway needed to start as early as possible and the most appropriate position was at the prenatal stage continuing through to death. Throughout the process interventions were highlighted that needed to be carried out at critical stages of an individuals’ life. A key message that came from the report was that,
‘If we are to prosper and thrive in our changing society and in an increasingly interconnected and competitive world, both our mental and material resources will be vital. Encouraging and enabling everyone to realise their potential throughout their lives will be crucial for our future prosperity and wellbeing’. Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project (2008) (Eckersley, 2005) states that historically, economic growth is closely linked with an improved quality of life. (Lomborg, 2001) asserts that “mankind’s lot has improved vastly in every significant measurable field and it is likely to continue to do so”, he also states that every child born today in the industrialised and developing countries will live longer lives, have access to better education and have an improved standard of living. Nevertheless, as previously mentioned, the cycle that wellbeing and mental capital follow begins before birth and stretches to death. An unborn child’s mental development can be effected by prenatal stress, alcohol and other contributory factors of a poor lifestyle. Expecting mothers that are exposed to high levels of stress can have elevated levels of maternal cortisol that can have an effect on the physical and cognitive behavioural development of their children. In addition, it may well result in other mental disorders. There is a plethora of evidence available to demonstrate that children’s behaviour can be affected by prenatal maternal stress (PNMS).

A study from Tulane University, evaluating the post-hurricane Katrina effects showed that 55. 3 percent of children living in subsidised housing in Mississippi experienced emotional or behavioural difficulties not present before the storm. Twenty-one months after Katrina, 25.4 percent of Mississippi children and 37.1 percent of children in Louisiana had behavioural disorders.
The “Project Ice Storm” was a study conducted by the Douglas Institute on pregnant women that had been exposed to a severe ice storm between January 4th and 9th 1998. The children exposed to high levels of objective prenatal stress, due the natural disaster were observed at the ages of 2, 5.5 and 8.5 years and exhibited poorer cognitive and linguistic abilities relative to the children exposed to low levels. The project also monitored behaviour and physical effects, the study showed that those children that were exposed to the high level of objective stress had higher attention problems during kindergarten. There were also physical effects, the women exposed to the severe ice storm before conception or during their first trimester of pregnancy showed more obstetrical complications. Researchers in the project were able to associate the period of stress with certain physical changes such as the development of the fingertip ridges and abnormalities with the fingertips. (See appendix no1).
The Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project states, “Today’s children will shape the future of the country, and their childhood is critical in setting a course for their trajectories through life”, so emphasis is needed on improving parenting and home environments. The environment has a major impact in the life of the infant and in their personality; the early human development is affected by what is happening around them. Nurture has a strong influence in the development of the child’s character. Philosopher, John Locke set out the principles of empiricism, with the theory that humans learn primarily from external forces. He asserted that at birth the human mind is blank and that we gain knowledge from the objects in the world that our senses bring us. Research shows repeatedly that babies who receive affection and nurturing from their parents have the best chance of developing into children, teens, and adults who are happy, healthy, and competent. Seligman (2003, p.191) states that at early childhood it was once believed that if a child was loved and cared for by not one but a selection of caregivers, after the child was taken away from their mothers, it had no significance on the development of the child. However, Seligman states that research conducted by a psychoanalyst, John Bowlby, looked closely at how these children progressed, and discovered that the children did quite poorly, with thievery a common result. This was believed to be due to prolonged separation from their mothers and they were found to be “affectionless”, only being able to form superficial relationships and demonstrating angry, anti-social behaviour.

Seligman (2002, p.66) debates on the Freudian view that childhood is not just a formative period of our lives, but also a creation of your adult personality. According to Seligman, Sigmund Freud believed that ‘every psychological event in our lives is strictly determined by past experiences especially childhood, hence traumas in childhood can link to the disorder some individuals find themselves in today. Freud and his followers of “psychodynamics” believed that recovering from these could be done by opening up about them, using talk therapy. Seligman, argues that ‘the events of childhood are overrated’ and has found no evidence of large or determining effects of childhood on adult personality. Seligman asserts that the methods of studying childhood events on adult mental health have been, ‘methodologically inadequate’ Seligman concludes that the main contributory factor to adult personality is genetics, whereas childhood events are only negligible. He also mentions that no childhood events contribute drastically to the physiognomy of ‘authoritarianism, religiosity, job satisfaction, conservatism, anger, depression, intelligence, alcoholism, well-being and neuroticism, to name only a few traits’. Seligman mentions that understanding this fact can be redemptive, as many people passively live their lives confined by the assumption that negative childhood events have determined their present and future, could abandon this theory and take positive active strides to secure a better future.
During physical development especially at the stage of puberty, many changes happen. Studies on the brain during the last decade show that it; along with height, weight and hormones, goes through dramatic changes during the middle school years. Whilst external changes are clearly visible, brain development goes much deeper, but with the reorganisation of the brain there are many reasons why a child does what they do. The Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project (2008. P.18) found that at this critical time the brain is vulnerable to the effects of alcohol and substance abuse, which can combine to upset this neural reorganisation. The key message here for adolescents to listen to is that the changing brain can lead to risky, sensation-seeking behaviours, such as alcohol, driving too fast or drug experimentation. During this transition, adolescents seek rewards differently to adults and pay no attention to the long-term negative effects than can occur due to them trying to be the ‘main man’ or even ‘cool’ to their peers. The process of trying to get teenagers to listen to these key messages is in itself difficult, so promoting the use of social science study to help adolescents through this difficult time could help responsible decision making, as would changing culture and media influences to re-determine what is the in thing.

Over the past 170 years, countries with the highest life span expectancies have seen a significant growth rate of 2.5 years per decade. I would argue that an increased longevity does not mean an improved quality of life, as people age their wellbeing and social support tends to be reduced. For the first time, there are more people aged over 60 than children under16 in the UK. Most older people can now look forward to many more years of healthy life after retirement than ever before. The shift in proportion, composition and attitudes of the older age group has profound implications for public services. We need to start taking action now to mould and shape things for the better. Older people need an environment that they can shape, thrive and live life to the full for as long as possible.