Critics and Critiques of Scientific Pollyannaism

Yakushko, Oksana

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-15982-5_8

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…According to this critique, psychology contributes to the reinforcement and dominance of neoliberal systems, which place the responsibility on individuals for generating positive outcomes in their lives, while attributing blame when negative circumstances arise ( Boyle, 2022 ). Psychological techniques such as mindfulness have been commercialized for financial gain (e.g., ‘McMindfulness’, Purser, 2019 ) while the field of positive psychology has been likened to ‘glad games’ that Pollyanna played to cope with loss, abuse and prejudice, diverting attention away from underlying systemic issues, a critique referred to as ‘scientific Pollyanna-ism’ ( Yakushko, 2019 ). Related criticisms point out that research on wellbeing has disregarded non-Western approaches ( Bednarek, 2024 ) which emphasize the inter-relatedness between people, their communities and the more than human world.…”

Section: Toward a Transdisciplinary Theory Of Wellbeingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nurturing wellbeing amidst the climate crisis: on the need for a focus on wellbeing in the field of climate psychology

Isham¹,

Morgan²,

Kemp³

2023

Front. Psychol.

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Awareness of climate change can prompt overwhelming emotions that threaten wellbeing such as anger, despair, and anxiety. Neoliberal views of human beings and their mental health strip the individual from their social and material context, driving personal dissatisfaction, social isolation, and ecological destruction. In this piece, we contend that advancements in scholarly research on wellbeing offer valuable insights for addressing the challenges posed by the climate crises while respecting human wellbeing. Such frameworks, which include the Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) and the GENIAL model, emphasize the interconnected nature of people, communities, and their environment. In turn, they help to lay the groundwork for the development of ‘post-growth’ societies focused on supporting outcomes such as human wellbeing, social justice, and environmental regeneration. There are a number of different actions that practitioners and even lay individuals can take to promote positive outcomes and effective responses in the face of the climate crisis. These actions, discussed in the concluding sections of the article, aim to foster wellbeing and impactful engagement with the challenges posed by climate change.

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Section: Toward a Transdisciplinary Theory Of Wellbeingmentioning

confidence: 99%