• Structural forces affect happiness.
• Slavery was a structural force, setting a pattern of social, cultural, economic, and interpersonal relationships between Black and white Americans that persists to this day.
• The family is a force structured by laws about marriage, divorce, ...

Positive psychology was once revolutionary for the way it turned away from studying and treating dysfunction in individuals toward examining the practices and traits that helped people to flourish

Unfortunately, this focus on the individual led many researchers and teachers to consciously r...

• The evidence for how social forces can undermine or enhance happiness goes well beyond America's determination to marginalize and oppress racial minorities, revealing that any inequality hurts well-being.
• Groups (and often countries) with less power, income, or wealth just aren't as ...

Many organizations continue to emphasize "easy steps" and "quick fixes" that will make you as an individual happier.

These companies discount or underestimate the power of social forces in shaping our happiness and life satisfaction.

We need to look beyond tips and tools for i...