Semiotics of Happiness: Rhetorical Beginnings of a Public Problem

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Semiotics of Happiness: Rhetorical Beginnings of a Public Problem by Ashley Frawley is a critical examination of how happiness has been framed, discussed, and problematized in public discourse. Frawley explores the rise of happiness as a central concern in public policy, psychology, and popular culture, interrogating the rhetorical strategies and semiotic processes that have transformed happiness from a personal emotional state into a political and social imperative. Frawley argues that happiness, traditionally understood as a subjective, individual experience, has increasingly been constructed as an objective, measurable, and governable phenomenon. This shift is not simply about understanding well-being but about how societies interpret and manage populations through the lens of happiness. By tracing the genealogy of happiness discourse, Frawley shows how it has moved from the periphery of public concern to the center of governmental and institutional agendas. The book critically analyzes how social problems are often recast as issues of happiness and well-being, with complex social and economic issues being reduced to matters of individual emotional management. For instance, rather than addressing systemic inequality or precarity, contemporary narratives frequently emphasize personal resilience, positivity, and emotional regulation. Happiness becomes a tool through which social responsibility is individualized and depoliticized. Frawley uses semiotic theory to unpack the symbols, signs, and narratives that construct happiness as both a moral and scientific concern. She highlights the role of experts, such as psychologists, economists, and policy-makers, in producing knowledge about happiness and promoting interventions aimed at enhancing it. These experts often rely on quantifiable measures, such as happiness indices or well-being surveys, which reinforce a scientific and ostensibly neutral discourse about what it means to live a good life. At the same time, Frawley demonstrates how these discourses obscure the cultural and political dimensions of happiness. By framing happiness as a problem to be solved through individual action and policy intervention, broader questions about power, inequality, and justice are sidelined. The pursuit of happiness becomes not just a personal goal but a moral obligation, with those who fail to achieve happiness often pathologized or blamed. Semiotics of Happiness also delves into how happiness discourse intersects with neoliberal governance, where individuals are expected to self-regulate, optimize their lives, and internalize societal expectations. In this context, happiness serves as a mechanism of social control, encouraging conformity and discouraging dissent. In conclusion, Ashley Frawley’s Semiotics of Happiness offers a critical and thought-provoking analysis of how happiness has been constructed and mobilized as a public problem. Through a detailed exploration of rhetoric, semiotics, and social theory, Frawley challenges readers to rethink the political and ideological implications of contemporary happiness discourses. The book invites a deeper consideration of how emotions are regulated and managed in modern societies, and how the pursuit of happiness is shaped by broader social, economic, and political forces.