Innovate Issue 1 November 2019 | Page 22

WELLBEING than average tendency to be attainment driven and goal-orientated. Similarly the number of applications made to elite, high tariff universities reflects the importance of status to the students when planning their futures. However, the existential imperative of instrumental rationality need not be an “Iron Cage” that restricts all potential improvements to student wellbeing (Taylor, 2003, p93-108). Until the implicit moral values are recognised however, it is difficult to see how any significant change in the culture might be realised. Whether a more prolonged engagement with the activity of reading poetry aloud would help offset the current bias towards the hedonic orientation of individual students may be worth further exploration. Possible improvements might include a more thoughtfully structured programme of education, more creative techniques to facilitate student reflection about the activity and greater integration of the activity within the curriculum. 20 References Billington, J., Dowrick, C., Robinson, J., Hamer, A., Williams, C. (2011) An investigation into the therapeutic benefits of reading in relation to depression and well-being. Liverpool Health Inequalities Research Institute / The Reader Organisation. Billington, J., Carroll, J., Davis, P., Healey, C., Kinderman, P. (2012) A Literature Based Intervention for Older People Living with Dementia. Centre for Research into reading, Information and Linguistic Systems, University of Liverpool. Broksopp, L. (2018), Veganism and Wellbeing, Is there a link? The Vegan Society Magazine, 2018 Issue 2, pp18-19. Gilbert, P. (2010) The Compassionate Mind. Constable. James, O. (2007) Affluenza. Vermillion. McMahon and Estes (2011) Hedonic versus Eudaimonic Conceptions of Well- Being: Evidence of Differential Associations with Self-Reported Well-Being. Western Oregon University, Digital Commons@WOU. Taylor, C. (2003) The Ethics of Authenticity. Harvard University Press. University of Glasgow (2010) Altruism and Eudaimonia, can we live happily ever after? University of Glasgow. Available at: http://www.psy.gla. ac.uk/~steve/courses/archive/Pos10-11-safari-archive/altr/webarchive-index. html (accessed 28.08.19).