How to Create Societies for Human Wellbeing - by Matthew Fisher

Book Synopsis

Wellbeing is a hot topic: governments, psychologists and a thousand self-appointed 'experts' all claim to promote it and yet our societies are experiencing record levels of mental distress and ill-health. Why?

Matthew Fisher presents a compelling new perspective on psychological wellbeing informed by evidence on human stress responses. He shows how our mental health is shaped by the social and cultural conditions in which we all live.

Developing arguments and strategies for a society truly committed to wellbeing, this book offers new ways to understand the problems facing modern societies and ways to respond through political and social change.

Review Quotes

"Timely and thoughtfully argued ... guides our thinking to the realisation that governments and the whole of society need to protect the public interest to fight the juggernaut of private interests in a market economy." Fiona Stanley, Telethon Kids Institute and University of Western Australia

"With the failure of neoliberalism sparking renewed interest in collective wellbeing, Fisher's book usefully unpacks how our current political economies get in the way of people's 'wellbeing abilities' before elaborating policies that states could (and should) pursue to support 'wellbeing communities'. A useful little tome for all equity-focused activists." Ronald Labonté, University of Ottawa

"Framed within the context of a rising tide of psychological distress, suffering, and inequities across the globe, Fisher develops a new theory of public wellbeing which integrates the concepts of chronic stress and social intelligence. He then applies it to better illuminate how and why human wellbeing is promoted or undermined. As he argues, although 'we live in a world struggling against a rising tide of psychological distress, suffering, and destructive social behaviour', it doesn't have to be that way. This book makes a valuable contribution to demonstrating what the alternative could be and how we get there." Jennie Popay, Lancaster University

About the Author

Matthew Fisher is an Australian philosopher and researcher in Public Health at the University of Adelaide. He has published widely on topics of wellbeing, public policy, and social change.