Interrogating ‘Wellbeing’ Through a Narrative Frame

Given its ubiquitousness and positive connotations, the term ‘wellbeing’ is—like its cousins ‘wellness’ and ‘happiness’—often used uncritically and assumed to be a worthwhile and universal aim. These assumptions elide the complex histories, economic implications, politics and culturally diverse manifestations of the concept. Taking these dimensions as a point of departure, this volume advances the field of critical wellbeing studies. We put forward a narrative framework as a unique way of understanding the significance of wellbeing discourses in the world. We ask, what is made possible, changed or excluded when we place wellbeing at the centre of personal or collective stories? The chapters collectively make three key contributions to wellbeing literature: first, they show that stories about wellbeing can be at once rooted in places and a driver of mobility, in ways that can both ameliorate and reproduce inequality; secondly, narratives of wellbeing are often interconnected with narratives of suffering, illuminating the poignant, agentic ways in which people navigate their lives and author their own stories; thirdly, the quest for ‘authentic’ wellbeing—as something untouched by modernity—can simultaneously be capitalised upon by the wellness industry, while also reflecting a widely felt desire for deeper connection that needs to be taken seriously. Finally, we reflect on how these insights may enable the repairing, restoration and re-storying of wellbeing.