Critical Perspectives in Happiness Research
The Birth of Modern Happiness
Authors: Zevnik, Luka
Free Preview- Explores the concept of modernization as the collective pursuit of happiness
- Places the concept of happiness into a historical and cultural context
- Analyses the relationship of modern consumer culture with happiness in contemporary western societies
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- About this book
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This book presents an interdisciplinary exploration of the origins of happiness in the modern Western culture and makes the argument that happiness is not universal but is instead a culturally and historically specific experience, characteristic only to the Western world. It begins with an overview of the main research approaches to happiness and then studies the important but elusive theme in the context of culture and relations of power. The second part of the book analyses the social, religious, ethical and political processes that lead to the emergence of the experience of happiness, including consumer culture in contemporary societies. It presents an analysis of the medieval Christian experience which concludes that the modern experience of happiness only emerged in the 17th and 18th century, when the ideal of human existence increasingly started to be pursued in the present life. In its conclusion, this book explores the concept of modernization as the collective pursuit of happiness.
- About the authors
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Dr. Luka Zevnik is assistant professor at University of Ljubljana. He is interdisciplinary oriented and has presented conference papers and published on happiness and emotions, popular culture, consumer culture, experience, cultural studies and neuroscience.
- Table of contents (8 chapters)
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Overview of Happiness Research
Pages 3-11
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Happiness, Culture and Relations of Power
Pages 13-34
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The Return to Happiness: A New Interdisciplinary Approach to Happiness Research
Pages 35-61
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Middle Ages: The Time Before Happiness
Pages 65-75
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The Origins of Happiness in Renaissance and Reformation
Pages 77-94
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Table of contents (8 chapters)
- Download Preface 1 PDF (765.3 KB)
- Download Sample pages 1 PDF (744.3 KB)
- Download Table of contents PDF (681.9 KB)
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Bibliographic Information
- Bibliographic Information
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- Book Title
- Critical Perspectives in Happiness Research
- Book Subtitle
- The Birth of Modern Happiness
- Authors
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- Luka Zevnik
- Copyright
- 2014
- Publisher
- Springer International Publishing
- Copyright Holder
- Springer International Publishing Switzerland
- eBook ISBN
- 978-3-319-04403-3
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-3-319-04403-3
- Hardcover ISBN
- 978-3-319-04402-6
- Softcover ISBN
- 978-3-319-35364-7
- Edition Number
- 1
- Number of Pages
- XIV, 158
- Topics
