Positive Balance

The book provides a new theory of well-being designed to integrate many disparate concepts of well-being, such as subjective well-being, personal happiness, mental well-being, emotional well-being, psychological well-being, hedonic well-being, social well-being, life satisfaction, domain satisfaction, and eudaimonia. It lays the foundation for a new a theory of mental well-being based on a hierarchical perspective of positive mental health and guided by the concept of positive balance.

Written by a well-known expert in the field, this book addresses the issue of positive balance related to physiological, emotional, cognitive, meta-cognitive, developmental and social-ecological levels of an individual and analyses the factors at each level that contribute to an individual's positive mental health experience. It discusses in detail the effects of neurochemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, or cortisol; positive and negative affect; satisfaction in salient and multiple life domains vis-à-vis dissatisfaction in life domains; positive versus negative evaluations about one's life using certain standards of comparison; positive psychological traits of personal growth and intrinsic motivation, etc. vis-à-vis negative traits like pessimism and impulsiveness; and perceived social resources like social contribution and social actualization vis-à-vis perceived constraints like exclusion and ostracism. This original work is of interest to students, researchers and practitioners of quality of life and wellbeing studies, positive psychology, developmental psychology and mental health..

Lays the foundation for a new theory of well-being integrating many disparate concepts Gives a hierarchical perspective of positive mental health guided by the concept of positive balance Speaks to a wide readership, from wellbeing researchers to mental health practitioners

Autorentext

M. Joseph Sirgy is a management psychologist (Ph.D., U. Massachusetts, 1979) and Virginia Tech Real Estate Professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). He has published extensively in the area of well-being and quality of life (QOL). He is the author/editor of many books related to quality of life. He co-founded the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) in 1995, served as its Executive Director/Treasurer from 1995 to 2011 and as Development Director (2011-17). In 1998, he received the Distinguished Fellow Award from ISQOLS. In 2003, ISQOLS honored him as the Distinguished QOL Researcher for research excellence and a record of lifetime achievement in QOL research. In 2010, ISQOLS honored him for excellence and lifetime service to the society. In 2012 he was awarded the EuroMed Management Research Award for outstanding achievements and groundbreaking contributions to well-being and quality-of-life research. Richard J. Estes, Professor of Social Work and Social Policy, University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice, Philadelphia, A.B., La Salle University (Philadelphia); Master of Social Work, University of Pennsylvania; Doctor of Social Welfare, University of California at Berkeley; and post-master's Certificate in Psychiatric Social Work, the Menninger Foundation, Topeka, Kansas. Dr. Estes specializes in international and comparative social welfare, social policy, and social development. His books include The Social Progress of Nations, 1984; Trends in World Social Development, 1988; Health Care and the Social Services,1984; Towards a Social Development Strategy for the Asia and Pacific Region (with Edward Van Roy), 1992; Social Development in Hong Kong: The Unfinished Agenda, 2005; The Medical, Legal and Social Science Aspects of Child Sexual Exploitation (with Sharon Cooper and others), 2005, 2007; Advancing Quality of Life in a Turbulent World, 2007; and, Islamic Social Progress: Social, Political, Economic, and Ideological Challenges (with Habib Tiliouine, University of Oran, Algeria), Dordrecht NL: Springer, in preparation 2015; The Pursuit of Human Well-Being: The Untold Global History (with M. Joseph Sirgy, Virginia Tech), Dordrecht NL: Springer(2015); and Advances in Well-Being: Towards a Better World (London: Rowman & Littlefield International (with M. Joseph Sirgy)). Don R. Rahtz (Ph.D., Virginia Tech 1984) is the J. S. Professor of Marketing, Raymond A. Mason School of Business, William and Mary (USA). His expertise is in integrated marketing communication programs, marketing research, survey methodology, analysis, and market assessment. He has had a particular interest in environmental issues, economic sustainable development, transitional economies, business/community interface evaluation, and health systems. He has traveled and worked extensively in the South Asia and Southeast Asian areas with a particular focus on Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Professor Rahtz has conducted a variety of workshops and seminars, and acted as a consultant to businesses in both the public and private sectors concerning the above topics, both in the United States and abroad. In addition, he has produced a number of publications regarding these topics that have appeared books, academic journals, and the popular press. He has been active in promoting the Quality of Life (QOL) field of study in a variety of disciplines and is a founding member of the International Society for Quality of Life Studies (ISQOLS). El-Sayed El-Aswad is currently professor of anthropology at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). He served as Chairperson of Sociology Department (2012-2014) at the UAEU. He received his doctorate degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Research interest: Cultural and Social Anthropology, Muslim Thought & Worldview, Religion & Cosmology, Sufisim, Symbolism, Social & cultural

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