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Positive Balance at the Social-Ecological Level: Socio-Eudaimonia

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Positive Balance

Part of the book series: Social Indicators Research Series ((SINS,volume 80))

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Abstract

In this chapter I offer a definition of positive mental health based on the concept of positive balance at the social-ecological level: Individuals characterized by high positive mental health tend to experience a preponderance of social resources (social acceptance, social actualization, social contribution, social integration, social harmony, social belongingness, social attachment, familial attachment, etc.) relative to social constraints (social alienation, social discord, social exclusion, ostracism, etc.). Five programs of research support this definition of positive balance at social-ecological level: social well-being, social harmony, social belongingness, attachment theory, and social ostracism. I then describe how eudaimonia (at the developmental level) serves as a building block for socio-eudaimonia (at the social-ecological level). The key process involves a process involved in social and moral development. As such, I argue that high levels of eudaimonia at the developmental level mediated by a process involving high social and moral development result into high levels of socio-eudaimonia at the social-ecological level; and conversely, low levels of eudaimonia mediated by a process involving low social and moral development result into low levels of socio-eudaimonia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    M. Joseph Sirgy

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Sirgy, M.J. (2020). Positive Balance at the Social-Ecological Level: Socio-Eudaimonia. In: Positive Balance. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 80. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40289-1_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40289-1_7

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