Semiotics of Happiness - (Bloomsbury Advances in Semiotics) by Ashley Frawley (Paperback)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><i>The Semiotics of Happiness </i>examines the rise of 'happiness' (and its various satellite terminologies) as a social and political semiotic, exploring its origins in the US and subsequent spread into the UK and across the globe. <br/><br/>The research takes as its starting point the development of discussions about happiness in UK newspapers in which dedicated advocates began to claim that anew 'science of happiness' had been discovered and argued for social and political change on its behalf. Through an in-depth analysis of the written and visual rhetoric and subsequent activities of these influential 'claims-makers', Frawley argues that happiness became a serious political issue not because of a growing unhappiness in society nor a demand 'on the ground' for new knowledge about it, but rather because influential and dedicated 'insiders' took the issue on at a cultural moment when problems cast in emotional terms were particularly likely to make an impact.<br/><br/>Emerging from the analysis is the observation that, while apparently positive and light-hearted, the concern with happiness implicitly affirms a 'vulnerability' model of human functioning, encourages a morality of low expectations, and in spite of the radical language used to describe it, is ultimately conservative and ideally suited to an era of 'no alternative' (to capitalism).<p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>"Of interest to linguists and sociologists alike, this excellent study examines when, how, and why the discourse of happiness came to find a place in British public policy. Documenting the growth of the happiness industry in Britain over the last 25 years, Frawley (sociology and social policy, Swansea Univ., Wales) details the expansion of media and political commentary on collective well-being ... This book is valuable both as a history of the rise of happiness discourse and research and as an exemplary discussion of the processes involved in the social construction of a problem by key players with financial and social interests at stake. Going beyond the simple documentation of the context, players, and processes involved in the rise of a common cultural symbol, Frawley argues that this problematization of an evocative emotion is directly related to people's loss of belief in progress, collective narratives, and structural solutions. <b>Summing Up: </b> Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals." - <i>CHOICE</i><br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br>Ashley Frawley, Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy, Swansea University, Wales
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