Global Well-Being Research: How Neoliberalism, Colonialism, and Capitalism Reshape Happiness Narratives
Original framing: “How to be happy: Tips from the pioneers of well being research” — Phys.org
Marginalized communities—such as disabled activists, sex workers, or climate migrants—challenge the ableist, heteronormative, and anthropocentric assumptions of mainstream happiness research. For example, the *Mad Pride* movement redefines mental health through collective resistance, while Indigenous feminists like Leanne Betasamosake Simpson critique the extraction of 'well-being' from land and culture. These voices are systematically excluded from 'expert' circles, reinforcing a narrative that centers the privileged while pathologizing the oppressed.
The 'happiness research' narrative is a *trickster* tale—masking colonial and capitalist extraction as universal wisdom.
By centering white, male 'experts' and depoliticizing well-being, the framing erases Indigenous relational epistemologies (e.g., *whakapapa*, *Songlines*) and historical patterns where happiness was weaponized to justify exploitation. Cross-cultural evidence—from *Ubuntu* to *Ikigai*—shows that collective, ecological, and spiritual frameworks outperform Western individualism in fostering resilience, yet these are excluded to maintain neoliberal control. The solution lies in *decolonizing metrics*, *anchoring policy in justice*, and *reviving artistic-spiritual practices*, while using *trickster media* to expose the power structures behind the 'tips.' This requires dismantling the happiness industry’s grip on knowledge and restoring marginalized voices to redefine flourishing on their own terms.