Positive Psychology in the Middle East/North Africa : Research, Policy, and Practise

"This volume looks at positive psychology from a culturally-responsive, empirically-driven perspective to avoid a descent into pseudoscience. Through evidence-based, regionally relevant topics in the field of well-being, this volume shows how increasing levels of excellence in the GCC region enhance upon business, education, research, and social innovations. Grounded in the empirical research literature, each chapter applies psychological concepts to locally relevant considerations, such as culture, religion, and socio-political contexts, making this book an essential tool for understanding positive psychology and well-being in the GCC nations and beyond." -- Prové de l'editor Front Matter ....Pages i-xxvi Introduction: Musings on a Regional Positive Psychology (Louise Lambert, Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi)....Pages 1-7 Front Matter ....Pages 9-9 The Pursuit of National Wellbeing Policies Across the GCC: The What, How, and Why? (Louise Lambert, Aziz Mulay-Shah, Meg. A. Warren, Yara Younis)....Pages 11-35 Commercial Life: The Private Sector’s Contribution to Wellbeing (Aziz Mulay-Shah, Louise Lambert, Yara Younis, Bronwyn P. Wood)....Pages 37-70 Happiness and the Built Environment (Aubrilyn Reeder, Louise Lambert, Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi)....Pages 71-90 Front Matter ....Pages 91-91 Coming Full Circle: Taking Positive Psychology to GCC Universities (Louise Lambert, Rehman Abdulrehman, Cameron Mirza)....Pages 93-110 Saudi Arabia’s Road to Positivity: Positive Psychology Education and Research (Saddiga Jaber Al-Ghalib, Shaden Abdul-Hakeem Al-Khalifah, Afeefah Y. Salim, Rana Abdulrahman Hafed Dahlawi)....Pages 111-131 Positivity at Work: It’s Not a Contradiction! (Louise Lambert, Elizabeth Topolskaya, Meg A. Warren, Mansoor Anwar Habib)....Pages 133-156 Front Matter ....Pages 157-157 Big Data and Wellbeing in the Arab World (Aamna Al-Shehhi, Ian Grey, Justin Thomas)....Pages 159-182 Because a Citation and a Contribution are Not the Same: A Path for (Positive) Psychology Research (Louise Lambert, Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi, Annie E. Crookes)....Pages 183-205 Measuring Wellbeing: How and Why? (Louise Lambert, Lauren Hotchkiss, Holli-Anne Passmore)....Pages 207-234 Front Matter ....Pages 235-235 Islamic Perspectives on Wellbeing (Mohsen Joshanloo, Dan Weijers)....Pages 237-256 The Life of PII: Developing a Positive Islamic Identity (Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi, Muna Odeh)....Pages 257-284 Advances in Wellbeing in the MENA Region: Accentuating the Positive (Richard J. Estes, M. Joseph Sirgy)....Pages 285-309 Front Matter ....Pages 311-311 “It Brings Out the Best”: Incorporating Positive Health into Health Promotion Initiatives from the UAE’s Physically Active (Louise Lambert, Lily O’Hara)....Pages 313-332 Positive Psychotherapy: Clinical and Cross-cultural Applications of Positive Psychology (Tayyab Rashid, Mohammed K. Al-Haj Baddar)....Pages 333-362 Repercussions of Individual and Societal Valuing of Happiness (Paul K. Lutz, Holli-Anne Passmore)....Pages 363-390 Concluding Thoughts on the Development of a Middle East/North Africa Positive Psychology (Louise Lambert, Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi)....Pages 391-404