Embracing Well-Being in Diverse Contexts: The Third Wave of Positive Psychology and African Imprint

Abstract

For a long time, well-being research had been driven from a Western perspective with a neglect of cultural and contextual variables. In this chapter we argue with reference to well-being research as manifested in positive psychology (PP) as a discipline, that contextual, metatheoretical and metadisciplinary perspectives need to be taken into account. Developments in PP over time are described, illustrating the importance of contexts and assumptions in understanding well-being, and how new assumptions in the third wave of PP resonate with old African wisdoms about interconnectedness as a core value in human lives. The first wave of PP focused on advocating for the positive in human functioning, many facets of well-being were differentiated in theory and empirical studies, while assuming a naturalist worldview and that findings from the West are globally applicable. The second wave showed that PP needs to take context, culture and negative facets of human life into account for understanding the nature and dynamics of well-being. The emerging third wave of PP is characterized by the acceptance of a strong relational ontology and trends towards contextualization, interconnectedness and post-disciplinarity. Harmonizing Western and African perspectives are indicated, and specifically also the understanding of well-being as harmony and harmonization. The third wave suggests a move to “well-being studies”, instead of the disciplinary bound “positive psychology studies”—a butterfly leaving its cocoon.

Future Perspectives on Positive Psychology: A Research Agenda

“…Another shift in foci, methods and metatheoretical assumptions occurred (more or less from 2015 and onward), while research and practice in line with the first and second waves of PP were still expanding. This shift was noted and named "the third wave" or PP 3.0 by Wissing (2018), Wissing et al (2018), and around the same time also independently identified and developed by . These author groups noted many similar characteristics of the third wave (e.g., the multidisciplinary nature thereof, and changes with regard to scope/focus and methodology), but also accentuating different facets (e.g., denotations of what is meant by scope/focus, and the degree to which metatheoretical perspectives are highlighted).…”

“…, described what became known as the second wave of positive psychology taking both the positives and negatives of life into consideration. Wissing (2018Wissing ( , 2020, Wissing et al (2018Wissing et al ( , 2021 highlighted the rise of a third wave of PP as manifested in multi and interdisciplinary approaches and shifts with regard to metatheoretical assumptions (worldviews), empirical foci and methods alongside and overlapping with the continuing so-called first and second waves. Similar observations and conceptualizations were also put forward by , explicitly focusing on broadening the scope and methodology of PP and elaborating on the idea of "waves."…”

“…Similar observations and conceptualizations were also put forward by , explicitly focusing on broadening the scope and methodology of PP and elaborating on the idea of "waves." The distinguished phases or waves of scientific development can summarily be described as follows for substantiation of arguments and relevant references, see Wissing et al (2018Wissing et al ( , 2021, Wissing (2020), :…”

“…The characteristics of the third wave were described by Wissing (2018Wissing ( , 2020, Wissing et al (2018Wissing et al ( , 2021 in terms of focus, methods and worldviews (ontological, epistemological and axiological) also accentuating multi-and transdisciplinarity, interconnectedness, contextualization and complexity. They highlighted the characteristics of the third wave as will be described in the following section: In the third wave, "context" was conceptualized more broadly, and included apart from the cultural context, also physical situatedness, socio-political, economic and other contexts.…”

“…They highlighted the characteristics of the third wave as will be described in the following section: In the third wave, "context" was conceptualized more broadly, and included apart from the cultural context, also physical situatedness, socio-political, economic and other contexts. Wissing et al (2018Wissing et al ( , 2021 further noted that the third wave manifested a deeper exploration and understanding of the dynamics of positives and negatives in well-being experiences, for example, in cultural contexts (e.g., Miyamoto et al, 2017), in the context of illness and suffering (e.g., Delle Fowers et al, 2017), as well as in interventions aiming to reduce negative symptoms while also enhancing well-being (e.g., Hendriks et al, 2020). On an individual level the link between biological and psychological processes in well-being was explored from an interconnectedness approach (e.g., Delle Fave, 2018), and on a social level issues such as justice, values, ethics of care and power relationships in understanding and promoting of wellbeing came into focus (e.g., Di Martino et al, 2017) -highlighting the importance of wider social and political dynamics in health and well-being.…”