Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An inquiry into the nature and manifestations of human happiness is evidently today an important focus for many academic disciplines. The contemporary revival in happiness studies is accompanied by studies on the rhetoric of happiness. Theologians approach such inquiries from a variety of perspectives, but it would appear as if a deliberate shift from the rhetoric of happiness to the rhetoric of human flourishing is taking place. The intuitive location of such an inquiry is soteriology, because of the doctrine of salvation’s focus on the good news of the gospel. Therefore this study approaches the inquiry into happiness from the landscape of salvation, by way of theological cartography, wherein three contemporary discourses are identified. A first discourse portrays salvation as reconcilitation, wherein a forensic interpretation plays a pivotal role. John Calvin, Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Willie Jonker are examined as three influential types of this discourse. A soteriological logic of faith is identified as a central pattern within this discourse, also in portraying human flourishing as piety, joy, and comfort. A second discourse portrays salvation as liberation, wherein an ethical interpretation plays a central role. Gustavo Gutiérrez, Mercy Oduyoye, and Russel Botman are held up as three influential types of this discourse. An eschatological logic of hope is identified as an important pattern within this discourse, also in portraying human flourishing as a fulfilled life, healing, and dignity. A third discourse portrays salvation as transformation, wherein an aesthetical interpretation plays a core role. Serene Jones, Ellen Charry, and Denise Ackermann are employed as three influential types of this discourse. A creative logic of love is inextricably wound into this discourse, also in portraying human flourishing as grace, happiness, and blessing. Together, these three logics function within triadic form in order to respond to the questions and challenges of the day. In conclusion, contemporary discourses on salvation appear to have, in all three of the forms outlined in this study, to do with human flourishing – whether as piety, joy, or comfort; as a fulfilled life, healing, or dignity; as grace, happiness, or blessing. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vraag na die aard en vorme van menslike geluk is tans aan die orde in ‘n verskeidenheid van akademiese dissiplines. ‘n Opbloei in gelukstudies gaan gepaard met ‘n ondersoek na die retoriek van geluk. Teoloë benader hierdie ondersoek vanuit ‘n verskeidenheid van uitgangspunte, maar daar blyk ‘n doelbewuste skuif te wees vanaf die retoriek van geluk na die retoriek van menslike florering. Die intuïtiewe tuiste van so ‘n ondersoek is die soteriologie, met die verlossingsleer se fokus op die goeie nuus van die evangelie. Derhalwe benader hierdie studie ook die ondersoek na geluk vanuit die landskap van verlossing, by wyse van teologiese karteerwerk, en word drie kontemporêre diskoerse daarin geïdentifiseer. ‘n Eerste diskoers beeld verlossing as versoening uit, en het daarmee hoofsaaklik ‘n forensiese interpretasie voor oë. Johannes Calvyn, Friedrich Schleiermacher, en Willie Jonker word as drie invloedryke van hierdie diskoers voorgehou. ‘n Soteriologiese logika van geloof speel binne hierdie diskoers ‘n sentrale rol, ook uiteindelik in die uitbeelding van menslike florering as vroomheid, vreugde, en troos. ‘n Tweede diskoers beeld verlossing as bevryding uit, en het daarmee hoofsaaklik ‘n etiese interpretasie ingedagte. Gustavo Gutiérrez, Mercy Oduyoye, en Russel Botman word as drie invloedryke tipes van hierdie diskoers voorgehou. ‘n Eskatologiese logika van hoop funksioneer binne hierdie diskoers, ook uiteindelik in die uitbeelding van menslike florering as ‘n vervulde lewe, genesing, en waardigheid. ‘n Derde diskoers beeld verlossing as transformasie uit, en het daarmee hoofsaaklik ‘n estetiese interpretasie ingedagte. Serene Jones, Ellen Charry, en Denise Ackermann word as drie invloedryke tipes van hierdie diskoers voorgehou. ‘n Skeppingslogika van liefde is aan die orde binne hierdie diskoers, ook uiteindelik in die uitbeelding van menslike florering as genade, geluk, en seën. Sáám funksioneer hierdie drie logikas binne triadiese verband om op die vrae en uitdagings van die dag te reageer. Kontemporêre diskoerse oor verlossing het, ten slotte, in al drie die vorme wat in hierdie studie uiteengesit word te make met menslike florering – hetsy as vroomheid, vreugde, of troos; as ‘n vervulde lewe, genesing, of waardigheid; as genade, geluk, of seën.

Two studies were conducted to examine if and how failure can lead to subsequent psychological flourishing. Both studies used the context of individuals’ biggest job-related failure or most significant challenge to test a proposed model of adaptive response to failure. Specifically, it was proposed that, at a cognitive/emotional level, an adaptive response to failure is characterized by acceptance of negative emotions and self-acceptance. Further, it was proposed that at a behavioral level, an adaptive response to failure involves goal disengagement coupled with goal reengagement, including reengaging with new goals that are intrinsically meaningful. These complementary studies both examined the relationship between individuals’ response to failure and psychological flourishing. Studies were conducted with different participant samples and used complementary designs to provide converging evidence for the proposed model. Using a random sampling process to recruit participants, Study 1 (N = 50) consisted of semi-structured interviews with individuals from the Austin community. Study 2 (N = 101) was an online study and consisted of a series of questionnaires and a writing task. Analyses were conducted on interviews, questionnaires, and writings to examine the relationships between response to failure, including acceptance of negative emotions, self-acceptance, goal disengagement, and goal reengagement, and psychological flourishing. Overall, findings underscored the significance of acceptance and goal reengagement in predicting psychological flourishing after failure. Goal reengagement, in particular, consistently predicted subsequent flourishing. Results also indicated that in response to failure, both persistence toward meeting established goals and moving beyond established goals can lead to subsequent flourishing. These findings imply that flexibility, rather than adherence to a singular response, may be adaptive in responding at a behavioral level to failure. Furthermore, results showed that failures characterized by higher emotional distress can lead to greater subsequent psychological flourishing than failures characterized by low levels of emotional distress. Overall, both studies demonstrate that failure, when responded to in an adaptive way, can lead to a broad range of positive psychological outcomes. / text

As teachers begin their careers they develop a psychological contract with their organization (Rousseau, 1995); beginning teachers have expectations about what supports will be available and what they will give the organization in return. To ensure that the most effective teachers are working in classrooms it is important to identify and provide the necessary induction supports that beginning teachers need to reach their potential and ensure that they are flourishing in our schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among rural Saskatchewan beginning teachers’ perceptions of their psychological contract with their organizations, the induction supports received, and beginning teacher flourishing in schools. The main objective of this research was to answer the following research questions: 1) How do rural beginning teachers describe the actual induction supports they are receiving from their organizations? 2) How do rural beginning teachers perceive and understand the reciprocal elements of the psychological contract with their organizations? 3) How do rural beginning teachers perceive their flourishing in schools? 4) What relationship exists among beginning teachers’ perceptions of their psychological contract, induction support provided and beginning teacher flourishing in schools? A mixed methods approach was used. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 110 beginning teachers in 21 rural Saskatchewan schools divisions using the Supporting the Psychological Contract toward Flourishing (SPCF) survey. Rural Saskatchewan beginning teachers acknowledged receiving positive induction support in the areas of: administrative support, procedures and protocols, consultation with experienced teachers, support with collegiality and belonging, resources, and professional development. They required more support with mentorship, levels of extra-curricular involvement, classroom management, and first year meetings. Beginning teachers perceived that they were strongly committed to their organization and that their employer was generally fulfilling their obligations to them as employees. Beginning teachers in elementary schools, and in some cases K-12 schools, felt better support than those in middle/ high schools. Beginning teachers perceived a low degree of flourishing as they began their careers; however, after one year, they experienced growth. Finally, relationships were noted among beginning teachers’ psychological contract and induction, their psychological contract and flourishing, and between induction and flourishing. Implications for theory and practice are presented regarding beginning teacher induction constructs, gender and type of school influences, and the relationship among induction, psychological contract, and flourishing. Future research is required in the areas of beginning teacher induction, psychological contract, flourishing and the relationship among all three concepts.

Most philosophical work on ethical questions concerning disability and impairment, human vulnerability and the cycles of life is found within feminist care ethics and the philosophy of disability. When it comes to eudaimonist virtue ethics, a discussion of such truths about our human condition usually falls within an account of external goods. Alasdair Macintyre's work is the most notable exception. In his book, Dependent Rational Animals, Macintyre argues that the cultivation of the virtues of acknowledged dependence is necessary for living a eudaimon life. Rather than focus, as Macintyre and some care ethicists do, on our often contingent dependence, I argue that it is a right orientation toward our interdependence which allows us to live with the vulnerabilities inherent in the human condition and live well. To that end, I put forward a hitherto unspecified virtue which I call Proper Interconnection and argue for its necessary role in sustaining human flourishing in an interdependent world. I establish that Proper Interconnection is a legitimate virtue in its own right by demonstrating that it meets the conditions which Rosalind Hursthouse in "Environmental Virtue Ethics," and Macintyre in After Virtue specify must be met in order for a trait to qualify as a virtue. In accordance with Hursthouse's conditions, I show that Proper Interconnection is a deep-seated disposition of character comprised of four cognitive and emotional components: recognition, compassion, acceptance and shared responsibility. Proper Interconnection is integral to the acquisition of practical wisdom, can be inculcated in children and plausibly fits within an account of human nature. Turning to Macintyre's conditions, I provide several examples from anthropology which I argue suggest that Proper Interconnection is both central to and helps sustain particular practices and traditions—such as the practice of hospitality and traditions of kinship. Macintyre argues that, just as the virtues help sustain practices and traditions, they also enable us to flourish by sustaining the integrity of our character and, by extension, our life narratives. We are both the authors of our lives and inextricably interconnected with those whose life narratives intertwine with our own. As our individual flourishing cannot exist apart from the flourishing of the whole, we cannot live an integrated life narrative by engaging in just any form of interconnection. We need to cultivate the virtue of Proper Interconnection, as we search and strive for both our own good and the good of humankind.

Problem: Recently, the demand for more sustainable farming and production has increased due to climate changes and the decreasing biodiversity. Furthermore, in Sweden, more and more milk producers are facing bankruptcy because of the present situation in the dairy industry which also demands social responsibility towards them. Therefore, dairy companies need to embed sustainability into their business model. Previous literatures indicate that sustainable business models which integrate sustainability into organization could maintain and increase profitability and at the same time ensure social and environmental capital in the future. However, there is still a lack of information and empirical data on the scope of how sustainability is embedded into a business. Purpose: to increase understanding of sustainability in dairy company and what sustainability aspect might be important to embed into their business model. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework is developed for the purpose of this research. It discusses the definition of Business model and Sustainable business model. Also, two sustainable business model canvases that could be used as analyzing tools to investigate an organization and its operational activities which are presented and compared. This part focuses on presenting framework and explanation of Flourishing business canvas which will be implemented in the analysis. Methodology: The study approaches on a qualitative study of an extreme case where parts of empirical data has been collected from interviews with the case company, the rest of empirical data has been gathered from the case company’s CSR reports and their annual reports. The case company is working with sustainability in their business. Conclusion: As findings of purpose and research question, Arla have embedded sustainability into their business model, however they still need to develop further in their work with sustainability to benefit more from their business model. The case company has embedded all three main contexts of sustainability: economic, social and environmental contexts. However, the focus is more on the financial context. Limitation: The findings need more investigation of other dairy companies to be generalized. Furthermore, this thesis only investigated the current business model.

The Naga women in North East India suffer in silence because of the unjust practices of child-birthing in their patriarchal culture, which privileges the birth of sons over daughters. Naga theology narrates suffering largely through Jesus' redemptive suffering on the cross, and Naga Christian women embrace this narrative, seeing in Jesus' suffering both a vision of Jesus as a friend who understands their pain and as a call to share in his suffering. Contemporary theologians have approached the symbol of the Christian cross in order to interpret it anew in light of marginalized communities. This dissertation examines Christology through the lens of the experiences of Naga women. It takes the issue of child-birthing practices within Naga culture as a starting point for re-reading the Christian cross by drawing on the theological writings of Jürgen Moltmann, Serene Jones, Rita Nakashima Brock, and Wonhee Anne Joh. This work turns to the theme of 'natality' in the work of feminist theologian and philosopher of religion, Grace Jantzen. Rooting Naga Christology in the concept of natality, it focuses on three dimensions of the life-bearing work of Jesus: embrace, respect, and nourishment. The central thesis is that a theology focused on natality provides not only a way to affirm the birth of girls in the Naga context, but it also provides a way to re-narrate the story of the cross in Naga Christian theology. In chapters one and two, this dissertation outlines the problem of child-birthing via the term `mascu-surrogacy.' The birthing mother becomes the surrogate for the male who seeks his progeny through dominating the female body. These chapters highlight the poetry and stories of Naga women, ancient and modern, to express the situation of Naga women; they also identify the centrality of the story of Jesus for Naga Christians. Chapters three and four turn to the contemporary theologies of the cross with the question of child-birthing in mind. Chapter five examines Grace Jantzen's philosophy of natality. The final chapter develops three aspects of a life-affirming Christology, based in the work of Mary Elizabeth Moore and concludes by reimagining the practice of the Eucharist for Naga women.

Why be moral? One possible, and compelling answer is that to act morally is in an agent's self-interest. Such an answer can be either elevationist (broadly speaking the Aristotelian/Platonic approach) where self-interest is elevated to coincide with living the good life, or reductionist where morality is defined as acting in an agent's self-interest. Elevationist moral theories appear flawed. If you are in possession of information that, if divulged, will bring about the deaths of others then it may be virtuous to stay silent. However, if staying silent results in you being slowly tortured to death in an effort to extract the information then it seems bizarre to suggest that in doing so you are flourishing, happy, or acting out of self-interest. Reductionist moral theories, acting for the 'good of self' rather than the 'good of others', are widely considered to be the antithesis of morality. Moral philosophers tend to attack such positions claiming that the doctrine of egoism is unworkable. It is commonly claimed that any theory which recommends 'an agent do x if x is in the agent's best interest' is inconsistent, incoherent, or contradictory and fails to meet the basic requirements of a moral theory (notably the requirement of universalisability). I begin this thesis with an examination of ethical egoism in its most widely known consequentialist form; i.e. an agent ought to act so as to bring about the best consequences for that agent. I examine the major criticisms of this theory and demonstrate that the axioms of egoism can be developed so as to overcome these criticisms. I argue that consequentialist based ethical egoism is coherent, consistent and noncontradictory. However, I go on to argue that while egoism can be formulated in a manner that overcomes all the aforementioned analytic criticisms it is a flawed moral theory in that within certain contexts the action deemed morally correct by egoism is, as a matter of fact, morally pernicious. That a theory contains a flaw is not reason enough to discard the entire theory and I go on to contend that the problem with egoism is the consequentialist approach, not the fact that it is based on self-interest. In Part 2 of the thesis I abandon the consequentialist approach and examine the possibility of a flourishing-based form of ethical egoism. I further develop the axioms of egoism established in Part 1 through an examination of the concept of flourishing (as commonly associated with virtue ethics). Ultimately I tread a path between the consequentialist and elevationist positions. While I do not elevate self-interest to acting virtuously I do contend that an egoist must adopt certain virtues if that egoist is to have the best possibility to flourish. However, I further contend that an egoist ought to act so as to promote that which the egoist values and that this agent-relative hierarchy of values, which necessarily contains certain virtues, determines the manner in which an egoist ought to act.

When teachers find their work engaging and meaningful, experience joy at school, feel successful, and are able to maintain positive relationships, they are more effective in the classroom and are more likely to stay in the profession. These teachers can be described as flourishing. Situated in the field of positive organizational psychology, a new surge of research investigates individual attributes that impact employee flourishing. However, little research has been conducted to understand school-level factors that create the conditions for teacher flourishing. By employing a sequential, mixed-methods design, this project addresses this gap in the research. In the first phase, extant data from the 2016 Oregon TELL survey was used to quantitatively identify workplace factors that impact perceptions of teacher flourishing. In the second phase, focus groups with teachers from one district were conducted to understand factors that impact flourishing in that setting. In the third phase, data from these focus groups were linked with the TELL data to deepen understanding about how school-level factors impact individual perceptions of teacher flourishing in a specific setting. The results of this study will be used to inform district and state officials about the importance of implementing and supporting school structures that create the conditions for a flourishing school community.

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Current research shows that grandparents have made significant contributions to at-risk families. However, few studies have examined the benefits of grandparenting in non-at-risk populations. This study considered whether emotional involvement with a grandparent is associated with prosocial behavior in adolescent grandchildren and examines the mediating role of empathy and perspective taking. A longitudinal sample of 500 participants were taken from waves two thru five of the Flourishing Families Project (FFP) and used to construct a latent growth curve model. Results indicate that emotional involvement with a grandparent was positively linked with initial levels of prosocial behavior in grandchildren. Furthermore, results indicated that empathy and perspective taking partially mediated the connection between grandparent's involvement and the initial levels of prosocial behavior in their grandchildren. Discussion focuses on the distinct contribution grandparents give to families.