John Haworth

Wellbeing and flow in sample of male and female office workers

The paper examines research into wellbeing and flow, considered as enjoyable challenging experiences. A questionnaire study is reported of the association between wellbeing in both work and leisure and flow in a sample of male and female office workers. Based on previous research it is hypothesized that flow is associated with wellbeing; flow is experienced more in work than in leisure; gender differences occur in the activities which give rise to flow. The results support all three hypotheses. The importance of flow for wellbeing is discussed, and a critique of the concept flow is presented. While the complex nature of the concept of quality of life is recognized, it is concluded that research into flow and wellbeing is important.

Paid work, life-work and leisure: a study of wellbeing in the context of academic lives in higher education

Living, working, leisure, and well-being are of increasing concern to educators, policy-makers, governments and people generally. The aim of this research note is to investigate the relationships between paid work, life work and leisure in terms of well-being associated with activity. The research used a modified experience sampling method for a one-week period with a staff group based in an educational institution. The data collection period included a bank holiday (three days holiday and four days work). A mobile phone was used to collect data eight times a day, over seven days, on activity, enjoyment, interest, visual interest, challenge, skill and happiness. Data analysis showed a significant correlation between enjoyment and happiness; enjoyment and interest; and visual interest, which also correlated with happiness. Enjoyment and happiness were experienced more in leisure than in paid work and life work. Level of enjoyment was greatest when skills were greater than moderate challenge in activity, though high enjoyment was more frequent when moderate and high challenge were met with equal skills (satisfying conditions of ‘flow’). High enjoyment came as much from paid work as from leisure. The findings replicate and extend earlier research, and the research note emphasises the importance of measures of enjoyment in the investigation of national wellbeing.

Work, Leisure and Well-Being in Changing Social Conditions

Profound transformations are occurring in the nature and organization of work with potentially far-reaching social and economic consequences. In many countries there is an intensification of workloads, and increasing job insecurity (Transitions 2006). Organizations are demanding greater efficiency and introducing new technologies and working practices in response to the pressures of competition in the private sector and efficiency drives in the public sector. In some organizations flexibility of working practices is being coupled with policies purporting to support the integration of work and non-work life, sometimes in response to new attitudes, values and aspirations of key workers; but also to enhance creativity, improve company loyalty, and reduce absenteeism and turnover (Lewis 2003b). Yet many employees are experiencing long working hours, intensified workloads, constantly changing work practices, and job insecurity (Burchall et al. 1999; Transitions 2006). Stress at work and home is viewed as a major problem (Worral and Cooper 2001; Schneider et al. 2004). But a gap exists in many Western societies between state policies on work-life balance and the implementation of polices in practice (Transitions 2006). Major social differentiation exists in relation to gender, class, occupation and other aspects of diversity (Taylor 2001, 2002), with resources in Western societies being increasingly unequally distributed, and significant variations arising in health, well-being and quality of life (Wilkinson 1996, 2000).

The way we are now

‘The way we are now’ is an innovative photo‐ethnographic project. It originates from both practice led research into creativity, technology and embodied mind funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and research into well‐being, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The research into creativity is underpinned by the writings of Merleau‐Ponty, including his claim ‘that modes of thought correspond to technical methods’, and that to use Goethes phrase ‘what is inside is also outside’, a position similar to that taken by social anthropologists seeing technology as skilled practice. The research into activity and well‐being in daily life uses the experience sampling method (ESM). Traditionally, the method uses questionnaire diaries and electronic pagers which are pre‐programmed to bleep at randomly selected times during the day to indicate response times. The research discussed here uses a mobile phone to indicate responses eight times a day for seven consecutive days, extended to include images taken at each signal with the mobile phone/camera, which has not been done before. The research extends both the subject matter of digital fine art, and the portrayal of subjective well‐being and quality of life.

Freedom and constraint in the creative process in digital fine art: an AHRB invited workshop

The workshop will explore in depth the nature of freedom and constraint in the creative process in digital fine art from the perspective of embodied mind. The problem is crucial to our understanding of the creative process in fine art. The aims and objectives of the workshop are to bring into visibility critical insights into the creative process, thereby potentially empowering digital artists.

Panel: research into art and technology

The panel will discuss the nature of research in creative practice. The participants will draw upon their current studies and experiences of projects that investigate creativity and the role of digital technology.Edmonds and Candy are applying a practice-led research approach to the study of collaborative work between artists and technologists.Mottram discusses practice-based research approaches and discusses the particular role of digital technologies in such research.Howarth is concerned with theories of perception and art and ongoing research into the interplay between mind, body and technology in fine art.Pettigrew is investigating how children act as creative artists using computers and proposes that children are different from adults.

Creativity in Digital Fine Art

The chapter draws on the writings of Merleau-Ponty constituting an Embodiment Theory of Art, which he uses to support his embodiment theory of perception (Haworth JT, The embodiment theory of pre-reflexive thought and creativity. In: Gilhooly KJ, Keane MTG, Logie RH, Erdos G (eds) Lines of thinking, vol 2. Wiley, Chichester, 1990, Leonardo 30(2):137–145, 1997). This views the artwork as “enriched being” in its own right, as distinct from an analogue for an external truth or essence, as traditional aesthetic theory claims. It proposes that this enriched being is not produced primarily by intentional acts, the traditional view, but by the reciprocal influence of consciousness, the body, techniques and materials. It “gives visible existence to what profane vision believes to be invisible” (Merleau-Ponty M, Eye and mind. In: Eddie JM (ed) The primacy of perception. North Western University Press, Evanston, p 166, 1964a). Merleau-Ponty (Eye and mind. In: Eddie JM (ed) The primacy of perception. North Western University Press, Evanston, 1964a) drew on the writings of modern artists and concluded that the painter’s vision is not a view on the outside, but a concentration or coming to itself of the visible (p. 181). He considered that works of art contain matrices of ideas that have their origins in embodiment (Merleau-Pony M, Indirect language and the voices of silence. In Wild J (ed) Signs. North Western University Press, Evanston, p 77, 1964b). He also claimed “that modes of thought correspond to technical methods, and that to use Goethe’s phrase ‘what is inside is also outside’” (Sense and Nonsense 1964c, p 59). As Merleau-Ponty indicates, we do not see the world, but see with the world. In artistic terms different media with which we interact have different voices which play a part in the creation of enriched being, perception and consciousness. The chapter will present conclusions from research conversations undertaken by Haworth (Leonardo 30(2):137–145, 1997) using the perspectives of Merleau-Ponty, held with internationally famous artists in order to gain further insights into the creative process. The chapter will summarise and discuss findings from practice led research by the author, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Board in the UK, into Creativity and Embodied Mind in Digital Fine Art; and Freedom and Constraints in the Creative Process (Haworth JT, Explorations in creativity, technology and embodied mind. In: Freire T (ed) Understanding positive life: research and practice on positive psychology. Escolar Editora, Lisboa, pp 429–444, 2010a). Several examples of recent work in digital fine art by the author will be presented and discussed, focusing on the creative process. Comments will be noted from an international study of digital artists (Thompson P, Born digital-new materialities. Robert Gordon University, Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen, 2011). The chapter will summarise and discuss an innovative photoethnographic project by the author into ‘The Way We Are Now’, and ‘A day in the life of----’. The possibilities of interpretation of this visual methodology are considered to be “an artistic object for contemplation; as individual visual profiles for comparative research; or as analysis of themes across a group of individuals, and between groups” (Haworth JT, Explorations in creativity, technology and embodied mind. In: Freire T (ed) Understanding positive life: research and practice on positive psychology. Escolar Editora, Lisboa, pp 429–444, 2010a). The ESM method with photos can also stimulate reflection and change in perceptions. The method can break the mould of looking/ perceiving. It can open up opportunities/possibilities for new ways of seeing things, and introduce a new train of imagination. The method could be used to create a global mirror of consciousness. The chapter will conclude by discussing future directions for research and practice.