Etymologies of wellbeing: Exploring the non-English roots of English words used in positive psychology
Article
Lomas, T. 2019. Etymologies of wellbeing: Exploring the non-English roots of English words used in positive psychology. The Journal of Positive Psychology. 15 (3), pp. 373-389. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2019.1615107
Authors | Lomas, T. |
---|---|
Abstract | Mainstream psychology can be considered relatively Western-centric, as reflected in the fact that its discourse and theorising is mainly in English, influencing how it conceptualises its subject matter. However, English itself is a complex product of multiple cultural influences, including the widespread borrowing of words from other languages. To shed light on this issue, this paper conducted an etymological analysis of a sample of words in psychology – focusing as a case study on a seminal article in positive psychology. The analysis identified 1333 lexemes, of which more than 60% can be regarded as loanwords (i.e., borrowed from other languages). The analysis shows the great cultural influences that have combined to form English, and hence psychology, yet also the extent to which this influence has been limited to certain cultures. The paper thus illustrates how psychology has benefitted from insights forged in other languages, but moreover how it might continue to do so through more systematic and comprehensive forms of cross-cultural engagement. |
Journal | The Journal of Positive Psychology |
Journal citation | 15 (3), pp. 373-389 |
ISSN | 1743-9760 |
Year | 2019 |
Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
Accepted author manuscript | License File Access Level Anyone |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2019.1615107 |
Web address (URL) | https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2019.1615107 |
Publication dates | |
Online | 21 May 2019 |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 01 May 2019 |
Accepted | 26 Apr 2019 |
Copyright holder | © 2019 Taylor & Francis |
Copyright information | This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in The Journal of Positive Psychology on 21/05/2019, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/17439760.2019.1615107. |
https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/843x0
Download files
Accepted author manuscript
Lomas (2019) - Etymologies of wellbeing.pdf | ||
License: All rights reserved | ||
File access level: Anyone |
206
total views754
total downloads0
views this month10
downloads this month