Call for Paper and Submission. Year 4 No. 3/December, 2024
Human Flourishing for Wellbeing in Society, Communities and Organizations
This Call intends to delve into the theme of flourishing, a concept that has been affirmed in the social sciences for some years now, trying to respond to a complex historical moment and the practical urgency of offering a transdisciplinary reflection that puts the person as a reflexive actor of his acting in the world at the centre (Archer 1995, tr. it. 1997; 2006; Donati 2013).
The term human flourishing refers to the person's capacity to inhabit the different circumstances in which human existence unfolds, making them fruitful (Annas 1993, tr. it. 1998; Sen 1999, tr. it. 2001; Nussbaum 2011, tr. it. 2012; MacIntyre 1981, tr. it. 2009). According to this perspective, the concept of flourishing does not define a momentary state of grace but an evolutionary path for the realisation of the person, which has as its ultimate horizon the successful completion of existence seen as "the whole" (Annas 1993, tr. it. 1998; MacIntyre 1981, tr. it. 2009).
Flourishing has to do with the self-realisation of the person ethically but also relationally. It refers to the fact that personal identity is also a transactional identity realised from the relationship and recognition that others make of us, our abilities and talents.
Human flourishing declines the Aristotelian, eudaimonistic concept of happiness, emphasising the dimension of growth, development and holistic well-being of the individual and society.
This development has been interpreted as existential happiness, resilience, prosperity, and well-being. It has produced systematic sociological studies on the relationship between happiness and quality of life (Veenhoven 1995, 2013), fuelling the sociology of well-being research strand (Donati, 2011; Fukuyama, 1995).
Contemporary scientific research on happiness and well-being declines the object of study, highlighting various aspects from time to time. Then coexist self-oriented studies focused on life satisfaction (Diener et al. 2009), positive emotions (Seligman 2011), personal growth and the search for meaning (Ryff 1989, 2014; Frankl 1969, tr. it. 1998), and societal approaches, where the individual's happiness and well-being are closely linked to the happiness and prosperity of the society in which we live and are declined through social and economic indicators such as income and material wealth (Keynes, 1936; Galbraith, 1959; Malthus, 1798; Pigou, 1920), equity (Loury, 1987; Lin, 2000; Berg & Veenhoven, 2010; Carr, 2013), social capital (Jacobs, 1961; Bourdieu, 1980, 1986; Putnam, 2000; Lucas et al., 2003, Coleman, 1988, 1990), access (Knox, 1980; Helliwell 2002).
Amongst the various approaches to the theme of flourishing, not the least is one that invests research on the themes of organisational well-being, understood as the capacity of an organisation to promote the quality of life of workers, clients, stakeholders, and the entire community, through indicators such as the organisational climate (Mullins, 2005), the culture and values of the organisation (Kluckhohn, 1951), the learning processes promoted (Schein, 1984), the culture of prevention and safety and the promotion of bio-psycho-physical well-being (Ilgen, 1990; Danna & Griffin, 1999), the instruments of person empowerment in organisations (Blanchard et al. 2007).
Therefore, flourishing is an area of scientific interest and research that encompasses a vast literature: from philosophy to sociology, from political science to economics, from education to psychology, from medicine to life sciences. The current challenge is then to contribute to the elaboration of models that promote the co-construction of a multi-inter and transdisciplinary knowledge that tries to recompose the separation between individual and context, between individualistic and collectivistic cultures, according to a model of synthesis and dialectical unity in which the political community becomes the expression of the individual condition (macro anthrôpos)
Reflections can be developed at different levels.
Starting from the panorama described so far, the proposed Special Issue intends to solicit, therefore, an interdisciplinary reflection on the different declinations and applications of flourishing, from the philosophical origins of the construct to the possible and desirable intersections with the contemporary world: we are thinking in particular of the digital transformation that affects every sphere, from work to the educational system, to the private and relational sphere; of the change in lifestyles, to a holistic vision of community empowerment, the challenges for an integrate them that puts the human person back at the centre of collective interests.
By way of example only, and not exclusively, this Call will examine studies and research of a theoretical and empirical nature on the following possible topic areas:
- Systematic literature review of studies and research conducted on the subject of flourishing;
- Theoretical-critical contributions on the conceptual basis of flourishing;
- Theoretical-critical reflections and/or empirical research on well-being and the educational system with a multi-target and multi-level focus (e.g. teaching and learning for human flourishing; school system and organisational well-being; promotion of the person in Higher Education; well-being indicators in Education, burn-out in the teaching profession, etc.).
- Theoretical-critical reflections and/or empirical research on flourishing in the light of the emerging spread of generative artificial intelligence, robotics, and Big Data, in the various fields of use: e.g. educational system, labour market, health system, relational and social sphere, etc.).
- Theoretical-critical reflections and/or empirical research on the impacts of digital culture on people's well-being and quality of life; opportunities and risks related to the use of digital technologies in education and at different stages of personal growth; opportunities and risks of digital technology in promoting the affective and relational well-being of children, young people and adults, etc.).
- Theoretical-critical reflections and/or empirical research on well-being, organisation and work (e.g. focus on strategies, tools and best practices for the empowerment of the person in the organisation, orientation and skills assessment for the development and well-being of the person, work-family balance, work-related stress, mobbing, diversity opportunities, etc.);
- Theoretical-critical reflections and/or empirical research on flourishing, inclusion and gender difference;
- Theoretical-critical reflections and/or empirical research on flourishing and welfare (e.g. focus on the role of welfare in promoting the wellbeing of individuals and the community; ethics and social welfare, welfare policies and quality of life, social planning and territorial wellbeing, the role of physical and mental health and health systems in promoting human flourishing, etc.).
The submission must be accompanied by an indication of the section for which the contribution is being submitted and the Call referred to.
- Essays section
- Rubrics Section:
It is strictly necessary that each abstract proposal is accompanied by the following information:
- Name and surname of the authors
- Affiliation and/or membership
- Role
- Authors’ emails
- Contact person email address
All essays are subject to referral through the double-blind technique.
It is necessary to refer both to the deadlines and the editorial rules. Failure to comply with the editorial rules will be the cause of exclusion.
Abstract proposals must be sent to the editorial staff and curators:
redazione.quadernicomunita@unilink.it
and p.c.:
DEADLINES
15 MAG 2024: Abstract submission (max 500 characters) in Italian, Spanish or English; 5 keywords (in Italian, Spanish or English). Writing in object: “Call for Paper, IV n. 3/December 2024: Human Flourishing”
30 MAG 2024: Confirmation of abstract acceptance
30 JUN 2024: Submission of papers
The Papers will be sent exclusively through the author's registration on the online portal at the following link: https://www.quadernidicomunita.it/index.php/qdc/user/register
The Editorial Guidelines are available at the following links:
Editorial Guidelines ITA Editorial Guidelines ENG
15 JUL 2024: Notification of referee results
15 SEP 2024: Revisions and changes to papers suggested by Referees
30 SEP 2024: Editing
Download the FULL TEXT OF THE CALL
