From unsustainable having to sustainable being? Perceptions of wellbeing among university students

Abstract

Due to the growing human-made impact on the planet and the predominance of the economic sphere over the social and the ecologic, we are witnessing a global crisis. In the context of humanity’s increasingly unsustainable being in the world and the problematic definition of wellbeing primarily in economic terms based on increasing consumption and material wealth, the aim of this master’s thesis was to study how university students - the consumers, possible future parents, professionals, global citizens and the decisions-makers of tomorrow - perceive wellbeing. The study was approached through the theorisation of sustainable wellbeing and analysed by utilising the relational, multidimensional and needs-based model of wellbeing. The model presents a holistic conceptualisation of wellbeing, founded on the interconnectedness and interdependence of humans with other humans and ecosystems. The study consisted of eight interviews with Finnish university students at the University of Tampere, with a focus on the students’ subjective perceptions of wellbeing and how being well (and illbeing) was actualised in their lives.

The findings showed that the students extended their perceptions of wellbeing beyond their own lives, social circles, species and national borders and beyond current generations on Earth. The students perceived wellbeing in a multidimensional and relational manner and their perceptions reflected the topical sustainability concerns. In summary, the access to and the quality of material resources enabled by the welfare state created the foundation for the students’ wellbeing. The students furthermore supported their well-becoming with conscious practices and purposeful and meaningful activities they were able to engage in within their surroundings. According to the findings, the process of well-becoming required furthermore a sense of belonging and caring for one’s social relations and the natural environment. In addition, the role of health and the pursuit of self-actualisation were perceived correlational with the other dimensions. The findings in this study thus emphasised the relationality of our being also on a global sphere: the interconnectedness and interdependence of the dimensions of wellbeing, furthermore with our social and ecological surroundings. As such, also barriers to more sustainable being were identified.

To conclude, the planetary boundaries and the societal structures define the limits within which individuals can fulfil their needs and pursue a meaningful life. The transformation towards sustainable societies requires then both individual and systemic change reflected in our values, practices, policies and institutional structures, and the value change can also be supported by education on sustainability. Thus, the social policy of tomorrow has the potential to support the sustainable (well) being of global citizens by participating in the reconceptualization of the ultimate goal of social policy, our wellbeing.