Kinds of well-being: A conceptual framework that provides direction for caring

This article offers a conceptual framework by which different kinds and levels of well-being can be named, and as such, provides a foundation for a resource-oriented approach in situations of illness and vulnerability (rather than a deficit-oriented approach). Building on a previous paper that articulated the philosophical foundations of an existential theory of well-being (“Dwelling-mobility”), we show here how the theory can be further developed towards practice-relevant concerns. We introduce 18 kinds of well-being that are intertwined and inter-related, and consider how each emphasis can lead to the formulation of resources that have the potential to give rise to well-being as a felt experience. By focusing on a much wider range of well-being possibilities, practitioners may find new directions for care that are not just literal but also at an existential level

Designing 'space' for student wellbeing as flourishing

This chapter proposes a holistic approach to designing school spaces that envisages student wellbeing as flourishing. It focusses on the potential of design and the physical school environment to enhance student capability enabling students to flourish by living a life they have reason to value. The first part discusses a capabilities approach to wellbeing, and explores the role of the senses, perception and emotions in wellbeing and the existential possibility for flourishing that they afford. Building on this conceptual foundation, the second part presents a new Salutogenic design framework for wellbeing as flourishing which offers a theoretically based holistic design approach for educators as well as designers that responds to the values, interests and needs of the students who experience school spaces