Abstract:

This study addresses the images of well-being that are represented in Russians’ daily communication. The authors identified four paradigms (functionalist, radical-structuralist, radical-humanist, interpretative) and 37 metaphors of well-being that circulate in the modern discourse of science. Particular images of well-being were derived from the metaphors of well-being. The social network Instagram, where Russian users post visual and textual content, served as a source of data for the analysis. It was found that Russian users tend to associate well-being with strong positive emotions, such as happiness, joy, pleasure, and love; and also link well-being to experiences (travel, rest, and entertainment) that are outside the framework of daily routines. As regards other components of wellbeing, they play a minor role in everyday communication.