Well-Being: Expanding the Definition of Progress Insights From Practitioners, Researchers, and Innovators From Around the Globe

Cities and countries around the world, from New Zealand to Singapore to Iceland, are starting to take a well-being approach by reorienting policies, budgets and other actions to advance human and planetary well-being. Well-being metrics--holistic measurements of an individual's or population's capacity to thrive, including the condition of their community, society, and environment--provide a nuanced and predictive view that transcends purely economic measures; they illuminate conditions of inequity and despair that other tools ignore, and expand the notion of health beyond simply the absence of disease.

Well-Being: Expanding the Definition of Progress summarizes the experiences and insights of practitioners, researchers and innovators from around the world, gathered together by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to explore how a well-being approach might further spread in the United States. Centered in the commitment to balance economic growth--the traditional dashboard of progress--with well-being, this book is a combination of scientific papers, case studies from the field, and excerpts from a lively, multidisciplinary discussion which intentionally connects issues of measurement to the imperative for action. Rich with insights on policy and practice, narratives and culture, equity and shifts in power, alignment with other movements, and cross-sector collaboration, it is intended to inspire governmental leaders, policymakers, economists, measurement scientists, reporters, and others who crave a more integrated and balanced pursuit of progress.

Alonzo L. Plough, PhD, MPH, MA, is the chief science officer and vice president of Research-Evaluation-Learning at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Plough has had a distinguished career in public health practice, academia, and philanthropy. His work focuses on improving health and well-being, and achieving health equity. Plough serves as a board member for many health and social welfare organizations.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword
Richard E. Besser

Introduction: The Imperative for Well-Being in an Inequitable World
Karabi Acharya and Alonzo L. Plough

SECTION I: WHY WELL-BEING

1: Well-Being as a Pathway to Equity
Based on papers prepared for the Bellagio gathering by: Walter Flores, ?loi Laurent, Jennifer Prah-Ruger

2: The Rationale for a Well-Being Approach: Discussion and Case Studies from Bellagio


SECTION II: DEFINING WELL-BEING AND DETERMINING WHETHER WE'RE GETTING THERE

3: The Stories the Numbers Do Not Tell: Measuring and Monitoring Well-Being in a Culture of Health
Carol Graham

4: Why the Dials on the Dashboard Matter: Discussion and Case Studies from Bellagio


SECTION III: NARRATIVES AND CULTURE

5: The Intersection of Narrative and Culture and Their Role in Advancing Well-Being
Nila Fietje and Felicity Thomas

6: The Power of Shifting Narratives, Expectations and Consciousness: Discussion and Case Studies from Bellagio


SECTION IV: THE VITAL ROLE OF GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT AND THE NEED TO SHIFT POWER

7: Integration of Well-Being with Resilience and Other Broad Scale Social Change
Anita Chandra

8: The Imperative for Community-Driven Approaches and Radical Inclusion: Discussion and Case Studies from Bellagio


SECTION V: COLLABORATION AND INTEGRATION ACROSS SECTORS AND MOVEMENTS

9: Creating a Government Commitment to Well-Being
Tim Ng

10: A Cross-Sector Approach that Breaks Down Silos and Encourages Innovation: Discussion and Case Studies from Bellagio


SECTION VI: CASE STUDIES

- Bhutan
- Nova Scotia, Canada
- Palestine
- Singapore
- United Kingdom


SECTION VII: REFLECTIONS

11: Afterword: Implications for Well-Being Policies in the United States
Julia E. Rusk

12: Afterword: The Future of Well-Being
Laura Kubzansky

13: Conclusion
Alonzo L. Plough


Bellagio Conference Participant List

Acknowledgments

References

Index