We May Be Ignoring a Crucial Component of Adolescent Well-being in International Schools

A central goal of international secondary schools is to acknowledge and embrace multicultural perspectives (Burnell, 2022). In effect, they aim to inclusively define culture by simultaneously recognizing similarities and differences across cultural perspectives (Pedersen, 2000). In many ways, the goal is to move beyond the flawed metaphor of the melting pot, which overemphasizes cultural similarities and frequently results in an imposition of dominant cultural views (Pedersen, 2000). Instead, a truly multicultural organization will embrace the complexity of cultural similarities and differences to harness the “powerful force” (Pederson, 2000, p. 36) to understand our communities and allow us to bridge areas of “shared concern”  (Pederson, 2000, p. 35). International schools may strive towards these goals with varying degrees of success across their academic and holistic learning programs. Regardless of these successes, engagement with adolescent well-being frequently succumbs to the flawed metaphor of a melting pot of cultural universalism with respect to the definition and measurement of and interventions to support student well-being.

One of the key challenges that underlies this one-size-fits-all approach is the potential for differing cultural conceptions. This could lead to a lack of inclusivity and understanding of the diverse cultural perspectives within the school community.  At the core of this discussion are the concepts of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being (McMahan & Estes, 2010). A focus on the hedonic perspective of well-being is generally interested in the individual and subjective feelings around the experience of pleasure within a limited time frame (McMahan & Estes, 2010). In contrast, the eudaimonic perspective is more focused on cultivating strengths, contributing to a greater good, and realizing one’s full potential (McMahan & Estes, 2010). Researchers McMahan and Estes (2010) further draw this distinction in terms of the pursuit of pleasure (hedonic) versus meaning (eudaimonic).

The degree to which hedonic and eudaimonic beliefs are more or less salient to holistic well-being can vary by individual and, importantly, also be associated with cultural identity (Jakowiec & Cramer, 2022). One key distinction between cultures may be a tendency to place greater emphasis on hedonic or eudaimonic components of well-being. A crucial moderator of this behavior seems to be the degree of individualism and collectivism within a cultural identity (Jakowiec & Cramer, 2022). More individualistic cultures tend to place more emphasis on hedonic elements such as happiness and short-term gratification, while eudaimonic traits such as skill-building and striving towards future goals are more prominent in collectivist cultures  (Jakowiec & Cramer, 2022; Joshanloo et al., 2021). In international school contexts, understanding and exploring the balance of these differing conceptions of well-being in our community is essential to reflect on our pedagogy and practices critically.

One way to address the importance of both hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives on well-being is to integrate both into the concept's definition and measurement. In fact, researchers and practitioners have attempted to do precisely that. Although there are several theoretical frameworks and instruments that attempt to integrate hedonic and eudaimonic conceptions, positive psychology, with its PERMA model, is perhaps the most visible and widely used in assessing and intervening on student well-being (Christopher & Hickinbottom, 2008). Although the use of positive psychology as a framework may get us closer to an integrated definition of well-being in international schools, it is ultimately rooted in Western concepts of individualism (Christopher & Hickinbottom, 2008). Given this bias, Christopher and Hickinbottom (2008) argue that it does not conceptualize well-being as interdependent on collectivism's broader relationships and social obligations. 

International educators and leaders need to recognize and navigate cultural similarities and differences to effectively engage with the dichotomy of universalism and relativism in a multicultural discussion of student well-being (Pedersen, 2000). This is not just a theoretical concept, but a practical necessity in the diverse environment of international schools. One effective approach might be to adopt the framework of universal relativism articulated by Lomas (2015). This synergizing perspective asserts that there may be many culturally universal determinants of well-being (e.g., family, community, health, financial situation), but that they are moderated by culturally specific factors such as norms, values, history, and tradition in resulting well-being (Lomas, 2015). 

In international schools, it is crucial to complement survey instruments rooted in the Western perspective of positive psychology with opportunities to elevate multicultural voices within the diverse community. Mass administration of survey instruments might be complemented with smaller-scale interviews or focus groups that seek to better understand the mediating effects of cultural experiences on conceptions of well-being. This approach not only recognizes universal determinants “in the way that well-being is sought, constructed, and experienced” (Lomas, 2015, p. 60) but also allows “for extensive variation in the ways these universals are shaped by culture” (p. 60), empowering and including all voices in the discussion of student well-being.

References

Bunnell, T. (2022). The crypto-growth of “international schooling”: Emergent issues and implications. Educational Review, 74(1), 39–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.1907316

Christopher, J. C., & Hickinbottom, S. (2008). Positive psychology, ethnocentrism, and the disguised ideology of individualism. Theory & Psychology, 18(5), 563–589. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959354308093396

Church, A. T., Katigbak, M. S., Ibáñez-Reyes, J., de Jesús Vargas-Flores, J., Curtis, G. J., Tanaka-Matsumi, J., Cabrera, H. F., Mastor, K. A., Zhang, H., Shen, J., Locke, K. D., Alvarez, J. M., Ching, C. M., Ortiz, F. A., & Simon, J.-Y. R. (2014). Relating self-concept consistency to hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in eight cultures. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 45(5), 695–712. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022114527347

Jakowiec, N., & Cramer, K. M. (2022). More than oneself: Cultural values as predictors of happiness. Journal of Interpersonal Relations, Intergroup Relations, and Identity, 15. https://doi.org/10.33921/onai9138

Joshanloo, M., Jovanovic, V., & Park, J. (2021). Differential relationships of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being with self-control and long-term orientation. Japanese Psychological Research, 63(1), 47-57. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpr.12276

Lomas, T. (2015). Positive cross-cultural psychology: Exploring similarity and difference in constructions and experiences of wellbeing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 5(4), 60–77. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v5i4.3

McMahan, E. A., & Estes, D. (2010). Hedonic versus eudaimonic conceptions of well-being: Evidence of differential associations with self-reported well-being. Social Indicators Research, 103(1), 93–108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9698-0

Pedersen, P. (2000). The rules of multiculturalism. In A handbook for developing multicultural awareness (3rd ed.; pp. 23-41). American Counseling Association.