Cristina Gibson’s Research on the Heterogeneity of Human Flourishing Published in the International Journal of Wellbeing

University Professor Cristina Gibson, along with Brendan Case, Victor Counted, Jim Ritchie-Dunham, Richard Cowden, Hayami Koga, Tim Lomas, and Noah Padgett published groundbreaking research titled "Beyond a single story: The heterogeneity of human flourishing in 22 countries" in the International Journal of Wellbeing. 

The study challenges the prevailing limitations in contemporary cross-cultural research on flourishing and development. By addressing the predominant focus on Western populations and conventional indicators, such as life satisfaction and GDP per capita, the research underscores the need for a more inclusive approach. Drawing on data from the Global Comparison Framework and Gallup World Poll, the study delves into the nuanced within-and-between-country heterogeneity of flourishing and its determinants. 

By exploring potential tradeoffs among flourishing domains and considering the impact of cultural differences on the conceptualization of flourishing, the group’s work looks to reshape the landscape of cross-national and cross-cultural research on human flourishing, marking a significant step toward a more comprehensive understanding of diverse cultural perspectives.

Read the full paper in the International Journal of Wellbeing.