Happiness and modernity: Buddhist and Western Perspectives
In conversation with Associate Professor Jordan McKenzie and Dr Nadine Levy
10 December 2025
12.30 - 2pm
Held Online and On Campus
This seminar will investigate happiness and the good life from two different perspectives: sociological analyses in critical happiness studies, and contemporary Buddhist perspectives. In a world that has never been more obsessed with happiness, the idea remains elusive and bewildering.
Social media is flooded with happiness influencers, self-help books that selectively apply findings from positive psychology are hugely popular, and economists in global comparative projects like the World Happiness Report attempt to quantitatively capture large-scale happiness shifts. And yet, happiness remains undefined, contradictory, and increasingly politicised. The speakers will explore the intersections, criticisms, and common ground in their respective fields by acting as interviewer and interviewee in conversation.
The purpose of the discussion is not to seek out conflicting perspectives with the hope of presenting the ‘true’ nature of happiness, but rather to reveal complementary ideas that can help to navigate the world of happiness advice. Key themes and topics include the good life, the “future”, mortality, and purpose.
About the Presenters
Associate Professor Jordan McKenzie completed his PhD at Flinders University and is now an Associate Professor in Sociology at the University of Wollongong. His research is largely informed by European social and critical theory, and these perspectives contribute to his current research in the sociology of emotion. In particular, Jordan's work critically engages with the normative dimensions of happiness and the good life in order to better understand how emotional experience reflects modernisation and social change. More recently, his work has focused on future-oriented emotions in perceptions of environmental disaster and apocalypse scenarios. His book Dystopian Emotions (2021) is a useful introduction to the field alongside Jordan’s articles and book chapters on prepping, climate anxiety, and dystopia.
Dr Nadine Levy (PhD, LLB (Hons), BA (Hons)) is the Head of Health and Social Wellbeing and Applied Mindfulness at the Nan Tien Institute. She teaches and researches in the areas
of mindfulness, compassion and social emotions. Her research examines the therapeutic effects of spiritual community and considered the intersection of mindfulness and
psychotherapeutic discourse. She is a Buddhist Insight Meditation Teacher having been trained by James Baraz from Spirit Rock (CA) and the Insight Meditation Institute (Sydney). She regularly leads retreats and workshops on Buddhist meditation and is a regular columnist for The Guardian.
Tickets are free; however, registrations are essential. You can register here
