In the latest episode of "Elon Beyond the Bricks," Book and Franzese explore themes of happiness and belonging, and how the magic of Disney brings both to millions of people each year.
What does it mean to live authentically? Is constant happiness something we should strive for? How does a theme park manage to spark a sense of joy and belonging in millions of people each day—and at what cost?
President Connie Ledoux Book and Alexis Franzese delve into these questions of happiness, authenticity and belonging in the latest episode of the “Elon Beyond the Bricks” podcast. During the episode, Franzese—associate professor and chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology—offers this perspective on the relationship between happiness and hardship:
“We have a cultural narrative telling us we should be happy all the time, but this messaging is not realistic,” she says. “Happiness is something we experience in contrast. What really matters for a sense of happiness is purpose and meaning. For a lot of people, the experiences where we make meaning and find purpose come through hardship. It’s through our challenges that we realize how we want to spend our time, and what a life worth living looks like and feels like to us.”
Franzese brings her expertise in the science of happiness, authenticity and belonging into the realm of travel and tourism, with Disney serving as a central focus of her research. She recently co-edited the book, “Why the Magic Matters: Discovering Disney as a Laboratory for Learning” with Jill Peterfeso of Guilford College. Through her leadership in Study USA courses such as “Disney: Happiest Place? The Science of Happiness,” Franzese offers a distinctive lens on how places like Disney shape our emotional and psychological experiences, and the cost of those experiences.
“I worked on designing a class to take students to Disney to unpack how Disney creates, curates and sells happiness and why it resonated with so many people,” she says. “A lot of people who enjoy Disney feel a very strong sense of belonging there. It feels inclusive to them. They feel like their needs and their wants have been thought of and attended to. They actually do quite a bit of labor while they are there—there’s a lot of invisible labor that people do in pursuit of the leisure of Disney—but Disney does give people a sense of belonging.”
Listen to the full episode on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Additional “Elon Beyond the Bricks” episodes
“Elon Beyond the Bricks” has featured a dynamic lineup of alumni, parent and university leaders sharing personal insights and professional wisdom:
Jon Seaton ’24 G’25
Elon football player and social media persona
“Student-athletes and the impact of NIL”
Dave Porter P’11 P’19
Owner, Baystate Financial and Elon University Board of Trustees member
“Leadership and other life lessons”
Barrett Wilbert Weed ’11
Actor and performer
“Stages and Screens: Barrett Wilbert Weed ’11 on Broadway and Beyond”
Zora Stephenson ’15
NBC Sports Reporter
“Zora Stephenson ’15 on Breaking Barriers in Sports Media”
Visit www.elon.edu/beyondthebricks to listen to these episodes and learn more about the podcast.