Pursuing Happiness: The Politics of Surviving Well Together

Gibson-Graham, J.K.
Cameron, Jenny
Healy, Stephen

In this paper we use the concept of surviving well to reframe contemporary discussion of happiness and wellbeing in the context of international development discourse.  While the attempts to move beyond metrics that privilege economic growth as the singular indicator of progress, it's equally true that our understanding of happiness and wellbeing needs to move beyond individual notions of contentment and towards a measure that allows people to thinking about their own needs in relation to others and in relation to planetary wellbeing. 

Suggested citation

J.K. Gibson-Graham, J. Cameron & S. Healy, 2016. “Pursuing Happiness: The Politics of Surviving Well Together.” In D. Pike, C. Nelson & G. Ledvinka (eds) Essays on Happiness, 116-131 (Perth: University of Western Australia Press)