Taking the ‘human’ in conceptions of human flourishing seriously
Eri Mountbatten-O’Malley (Bath Spa University)

5.30-7.00 pm

This will be a face-to-face meeting in Room 903, but a Zoom link (below) is provided for anyone wishing to attend virtually.
                                                                                                               
Notions of well-being and flourishing have influenced educational practices where children are measured against matrices of ‘flourishing behaviours’ (Stephens, 2014).  Kristjánsson has advanced a conception of “objective well-being” as the overarching aim of education. But these concepts become technicalized, woolly, and detached from everyday linguistic practices. I pay attention to the conceptual and methodological issues related to flourishing and tendencies towards reductionism. I address three central problems: 1) with definition, 2) with measurement, and 3) with placing flourishing centrally amongst educational ‘aims’. If there is any central aim, it must flow from respect for student agency and nurturing conceptual mastery.
 
Eri Mountbatten-O’Malley is Senior Lecturer in education policy at the School of Education, Bath Spa University. Eri’s concern with how we often conceptualize and operationalize concepts such as “well-being” and “happiness” led him to his recently completed PhD: “Human flourishing: a conceptual analysis”, with Edge Hill University, which has been characterized by his supervisory team as an ‘outstanding scholarly work’. This will be published by Spring 2022.
  
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81813506541
Meeting ID: 818 1350 6541
 
* Please note that this seminar series is run by academics on an entirely voluntary and unpaid basis, on top of existing teaching and other work commitments.  While we endeavour to make these events as inclusive and welcoming as possible, we cannot undertake any extra work regarding the presentation, dissemination or planning of the talks or make adjustments to the existing programme.