About this Research Topic
The search for meaning is considered as lying at the very core of human psychology, from young children asking “why” questions to make sense of the world to adults seeking more meaning through work, hobbies, and the marketplace. While scholarly interest in meaning dates back centuries, researchers have only gradually begun to explore the search for meaning in a systematic manner. Existing empirical research has begun uncovering the many psychological, spiritual, and physical effects of meaning and purpose for individuals, organizations, and communities, but many gaps remain. The proposed Research Topic aims to address one particular gap: how people seek, find, and create meaning through everyday activities.
The desire for a meaningful life is one of the cornerstones of human existence. While the study of meaning is centuries old in philosophy, it is relatively newer in fields that focus on how to enhance and enrich human functioning. Even still, while there has been a growing sophistication in exploring the search for and creation of meaning, the study of meaning has been relatively circumscribed to understanding the concept of meaning and how it contributes to well-being and coping. Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic (among other things) has laid bare how a meaningful life is grounded in everyday life and activities, be it starting a new hobby, caring for one’s community, Zooming with friends and family from around the world, or pivoting to a new job so that daily work can feel more purposeful. In parallel, there has been a growing interest among academics about how the search for meaning plays out in everyday life, and how this approach to studying meaning may shed novel light on the complex puzzle that is meaning. This Research Topic aims to bring together work from multiple disciplines which can answer big-picture questions about the nature and experience of a meaningful life through the study of meaning in everyday life.
The aim of this Research Topic is to advance new knowledge about meaning in life by understanding how people pursue, find, and experience meaning through everyday activities. In particular, the present Topic aims:
• To stimulate discourse, debate, and dialogue on the question of meaning within the frameworks of psychology and related fields;
• To present state-of-the-art research and theory on how people pursue, create, and find meaning in everyday activities, such as working, playing, consuming and more;
• To integrate different perspectives on the science of meaning and how meaning may be cultivated in the therapeutic, organizational, social, and educational contexts.
The desire for a meaningful life is one of the cornerstones of human existence. While the study of meaning is centuries old in philosophy, it is relatively newer in fields that focus on how to enhance and enrich human functioning. Even still, while there has been a growing sophistication in exploring the search for and creation of meaning, the study of meaning has been relatively circumscribed to understanding the concept of meaning and how it contributes to well-being and coping. Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic (among other things) has laid bare how a meaningful life is grounded in everyday life and activities, be it starting a new hobby, caring for one’s community, Zooming with friends and family from around the world, or pivoting to a new job so that daily work can feel more purposeful. In parallel, there has been a growing interest among academics about how the search for meaning plays out in everyday life, and how this approach to studying meaning may shed novel light on the complex puzzle that is meaning. This Research Topic aims to bring together work from multiple disciplines which can answer big-picture questions about the nature and experience of a meaningful life through the study of meaning in everyday life.
The aim of this Research Topic is to advance new knowledge about meaning in life by understanding how people pursue, find, and experience meaning through everyday activities. In particular, the present Topic aims:
• To stimulate discourse, debate, and dialogue on the question of meaning within the frameworks of psychology and related fields;
• To present state-of-the-art research and theory on how people pursue, create, and find meaning in everyday activities, such as working, playing, consuming and more;
• To integrate different perspectives on the science of meaning and how meaning may be cultivated in the therapeutic, organizational, social, and educational contexts.
Keywords: Meaning in life, Meaning in work, Well-being, Purpose, Meaningfulness, Positive Change, Resilience, Calling, Growth, Close Relationships, Consumption, Meaning motivation
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
