Speaker
Description
Wellbeing has emerged as a central feature of social life. By virtue of its intersection with politics, economics, health, education, and consumer lifestyle – wellbeing is now a key concept within an ever-expanding network of discourses and policies linked to state policy, power and resources. This presentation explores the contested terrain of wellbeing by examining it in relation to various emerging politics, complexities and contradictions. More specifically, the essay: (1) briefly describes the historical origins and development of wellbeing; (2) discusses how it has been reconceptualised within the context of neoliberalism; and, (3) introduces the concept of “wellbeing washing” within state and other institutional structures and policies including those associated with sport. The paper concludes by reflecting on the increasingly problematic nature of wellbeing.
