scholarly journals Does Education Make People Happy? Spotlighting the Overlooked Societal Condition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Araki
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Educational Expansion ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Gini Coefficients ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Societal Level

AbstractThe association between education and subjective well-being has long been investigated by social scientists. However, prior studies have paid inadequate attention to the influence of societal-level educational expansion and skills diffusion. In this article, multilevel regression analyses, using internationally comparable data for over 48,000 individuals in 24 countries, detect the overall positive linkage between educational attainment and life satisfaction. Nevertheless, this relationship is undermined due to the larger degree of skills diffusion at the societal level, and no longer confirmed once labor market outcomes are accounted for. Meanwhile, the extent of skills diffusion per se is positively and substantially associated with people’s subjective well-being even after adjusting for key individual-level and country-level predictors, whereas other societal conditions including GDP, Gini coefficients, safety, civic engagement, and educational expansion do not indicate significant links with life satisfaction in the current analysis. Given that recent research suggests skills diffusion promotes the formation of meritocratic social systems, one may argue it is the process of fairer rewards allocation underpinned by skills diffusion, rather than the status quo of macroeconomy, economic inequality, social stability, and educational opportunities as such, that matters more to people’s subjective well-being.

scholarly journals How does area-level deprivation depress an individual’s self-rated health and life satisfaction? Evidence from a nationwide population-based survey in Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Oshio ◽  
Hiromi Kimura ◽  
Toshimi Nishizaki ◽  
Takashi Omori
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Area-level deprivation is well known to have an adverse impact on mortality, morbidity, or other specific health outcomes. This study examined how area-level deprivation may affect self-rated health (SRH) and life satisfaction (LS), an issue that is largely understudied. Methods We used individual-level data obtained from a nationwide population-based internet survey conducted between 2019 and 2020, as well as municipality-level data obtained from a Japanese government database (N = 12,461 living in 366 municipalities). We developed multilevel regression models to explain an individual’s SRH and LS scores using four alternative measures of municipality-level deprivation, controlling for individual-level deprivation and covariates. We also examined how health behavior and interactions with others mediated the impact of area-level deprivation on SRH and LS. Results Participants in highly deprived municipalities tended to report poorer SRH and lower LS. For example, when living in municipalities falling in the highest tertile of municipality-level deprivation as measured by the z-scoring method, SRH and LS scores worsened by a standard deviation of 0.05 (p < 0.05) when compared with those living in municipalities falling in the lowest tertile of deprivation. In addition, health behavior mediated between 17.6 and 33.1% of the impact of municipality-level deprivation on SRH and LS, depending on model specifications. Conclusion Results showed that area-level deprivation modestly decreased an individual’s general health conditions and subjective well-being, underscoring the need for public health policies to improve area-level socioeconomic conditions.

scholarly journals Assessments of Societal Subjective Well-Being

2021 ◽  
pp. 70-91
Author(s):  
Louis Tay ◽  
Andrew T. Jebb ◽  
Victoria S. Scotney
Keyword(s):  
Full Range ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Positive Events ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Societal Level ◽  
Different Response ◽  
Level Of Analysis

This chapter examines 10 methodological issues when assessing and analyzing societal well-being using self-reports. First, there are unit-of-analysis issues: deciding the appropriate level of analysis, accounting for individual-level score variability in societal-level scores, testing isomorphism across levels, and finding ways of aggregating and accounting for score variability. Second, there are comparability issues: researchers have sought to homogenize well-being scales with different response scales or use translated measures to compare across nations. Furthermore, there is the concern of whether well-being measures can capture the full range of well-being (both positive and negative aspects). The final set of issues are prediction issues: well-being measures may be more sensitive to negative than positive events/experiences, societal well-being may not always be linearly related to variables of interest, and domain-specific measures may be more sensitive than general measures of well-being, especially when tracking specific changes in well-being or comparing subgroups.

Time and well-being, an institutional, comparative perspective: Is it time to explore the idea of a time policy?

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 275-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lihi Lahat ◽  
Itai Sened
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Welfare Regime ◽  
Welfare Regimes ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Third ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Relationship

This article explores the relationship between time and well-being as a social policy question. Although the research on time and well-being is extensive, few have dealt with them together from a comparative institutional perspective. Based on data from the third European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) of 2012, regarding 34 mostly European countries, in different welfare regimes, we explore two issues: (1) What are the effects of welfare regimes on the uses of time and subjective well-being? and (2) What are the effects of different uses of time on subjective well-being? We find that the institutional structure – the welfare regime – affects the way people use their time. Furthermore, the findings documented that uses of time have a direct effect on well-being when controlling for individual level as well as country-level variables. These findings may have important implications for policymaking.

scholarly journals Relative Income and Life Satisfaction among Chinese Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenghua Guan ◽  
Yingjie Qiu ◽  
Ruopeng An
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Relative Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Chinese Adults ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
The Relationship

Life satisfaction is a key component of people’s subjective well-being. This study assessed the relationship between relative income and life satisfaction among Chinese adults, using data from a cross-sectional survey. Individual-level data (N = 1369) came from the 2016 China Genuine Progress indicator Survey (CGPiS) conducted in Beijing and Chengdu, China. Ordered logistic regressions were performed to examine the relationship between relative income and life satisfaction among CGPiS adult respondents. Respondents’ life satisfaction was positively associated with relative income in comparison to their relatives and friends but not associated with relative income in comparison to their residing community and city. Subgroup analyses replicated the findings among male respondents and respondents with good or excellent self-rated health. In contrast, female respondents’ life satisfaction was positively associated with relative income in comparison to their city of residence, but not associated with relative income in comparison to their relatives, friends, and residing community. Life satisfaction among those with poor or fair self-rated health was not associated with any of the four dimensions of relative income. Relative income in comparison to relatives and friends was positively associated with life satisfaction in Chinese adults. Future studies adopting a longitudinal or experimental design are warranted to replicate the findings.

scholarly journals RELATION BETWEEN LIFE SATISFACTION AND GDP IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Ekonomika ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-21
Author(s):  
Mindaugas Degutis ◽  
Sigitas Urbonavičius ◽  
Algis Gaižutis
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
Wealth Of Nations

In the paper, relation between GDP and subjective well-being, expressed as personal life satisfaction is analysed. On the basis of the European Union data from 2000 to 2009, the so-called Easterlin’s paradox, which claims that life satisfaction stays flat in face of the increasing wealth of nations, is tested. The test is carried out using aggregated country level data on life satisfaction from a Standard Eurobarometer survey and GDP per capita data. Both the cross-country correlation and the within-country trends’ regression analyses show that the GDP level is positively related to the level of life satisfaction. Although the relation is particularly strongly expressed in Eastern European countries, it also stays positive in many more prosperous EU countries. Nevertheless, further studies on factors influencing the shape of relation are necessary to explain exceptions from the relation. The authors also suggest a possible necessity to find more sensitive indicators of life satisfaction to measure it more accurately in the future.

scholarly journals They are Doing Well, but is it by Doing Good? Pathways from Nonpolitical and Political Volunteering to Subjective Well-Being in Age Comparison

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Lühr ◽  
Maria K. Pavlova ◽  
Maike Luhmann
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Beliefs ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Middle Aged

AbstractWe investigated whether higher internal control beliefs (perceived control, political efficacy) and improved social relationships (lower loneliness, social support availability) mediated the associations between nonpolitical and political volunteering and subjective well-being (SWB; life satisfaction, emotional well-being). Moreover, we examined whether these effects differed between nonpolitical and political volunteering and across age groups. We conducted longitudinal multilevel regression analyses of data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (1985–2016) in younger (14–29, n = 7,547), middle-aged (40–50, n = 6,437), and older (65–75, n = 3,736) adults (see preregistration at https://osf.io/qk6mu). Significant effects on SWB emerged mainly in older adults who reported higher life satisfaction on occasions with more frequent nonpolitical volunteering than usual but lower life satisfaction on occasions with more frequent political volunteering. The negative effect of political volunteering was mediated by higher loneliness. In younger and middle-aged adults, mixed effects of nonpolitical and political volunteering on the mediating variables and no significant effects on SWB emerged. We discuss methodological, contextual, and life-stage explanations of our findings.

Control and Well-being Across Cultures: The Moderation of Individualism on the Relationship between Primary & Secondary Control and Affective & Cognitive SWB

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingyu LIU ◽  
René Mõttus
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Control ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary Control ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Secondary Control ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Collectivist Cultures

Perceived control is essential to our subjective well-being (SWB). However, people from individualist and collectivist cultures may prefer different types of perceived control. We examined cultural variations in agency-oriented primary control and adjustment-oriented secondary control, their relationship to affective and cognitive SWB, and the moderation of Individualism of this relationship. We used an IPIP-based personality questionnaire that sampled 40, 000 participants from over across 42 countries. Using multilevel analyses, we found that the correlations between the two types of perceived control and the two aspects of SWB were different at the country level versus the individual level: primary control was more strongly related to cognitive SWB than affective SWB at the individual level, but the pattern was flipped at the country level. Contrary to previous results, we found stronger associations between individualism and secondary control and between collectivism and primary control; and primary control better predicted general SWB in collectivist cultures while secondary control better predicted general SWB in individualist cultures. We explored methodological (e.g., high influence items), philosophical (e.g., Hobbesian social contract), and sociopolitical (e.g., globalization) explanations of our results. Given the high generalizability and the high statistical power of our results that contradict previous findings, our study potentially calls for more nuanced and more generalizable revision of the current understanding of cultural differences in perceived control and its relation to SWB.

scholarly journals How commuting affects subjective wellbeing

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 2777-2805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Clark ◽  
Kiron Chatterjee ◽  
Adam Martin ◽  
Adrian Davis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Commuting between home and work is routinely performed by workers and any wellbeing impacts of commuting will consequently affect a large proportion of the population. This paper presents findings from analyses of the impact of commuting (time and mode) on multiple aspects of Subjective Well-Being (SWB), including: satisfaction with life overall and the SWB sub-domains of job satisfaction, satisfaction with leisure time availability and self-reported health. Measures of strain and mental health (GHQ-12) are also examined. Six waves of individual-level panel data from Understanding Society (2009/10 to 2014/15) are analysed, providing a sample of over 26,000 workers living in England. Associations between commuting and SWB are identified, paying particular attention to those arising from individual changes in commuting circumstances over the six waves. It is found that longer commute times are associated with lower job and leisure time satisfaction, increased strain and poorer mental health. The strongest association is found for leisure time satisfaction. Despite these negative associations with the SWB sub-domains, longer commute times were not associated with lower overall life satisfaction (except where individuals persisted with them over all six waves). Workers in England appear to be successful in balancing the negative aspects of commuting against the wider benefits, e.g. access to employment, earnings and housing. Differences amongst selected population sub-groups are also examined. The job satisfaction of younger adults and lower income groups are not found to be negatively associated with longer commute times; longer commute times are more strongly negatively associated with the job satisfaction of women compared to men. With respect to mode of transport, walking to work is associated with increased leisure time satisfaction and reduced strain. The absence of the commute, via working from home, is associated with increased job satisfaction and leisure time satisfaction. Overall, the study indicates that shorter commute times and walkable commutes can contribute to improved SWB—particularly through the release of leisure time. But life satisfaction overall will only be maintained if the benefits of undertaking the commute (earnings and satisfactory housing/employment) are not compromised.

scholarly journals How does area-level deprivation depress an individual’s self-rated health and life satisfaction? Evidence from a nationwide population-based survey in Japan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Oshio ◽  
Hiromi Kimura ◽  
Toshimi Nishizaki ◽  
Takashi Omori
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Area-level deprivation is well known to have an adverse impact on mortality, morbidity, or other specific health outcomes. This study examined how area-level deprivation may affect self-rated health (SRH) and life satisfaction (LS), an issue that is largely understudied. Methods: We used individual-level data obtained from a nationwide population-based internet survey conducted between 2019–2020, as well as municipality-level data obtained from a Japanese government database (N=12,461 living in 366 municipalities). We developed multilevel regression models to explain an individual’s SRH and LS scores using four alternative measures of municipality-level deprivation, controlling for individual-level deprivation and covariates. We also examined how health behavior and interactions with others mediated the impact of area-level deprivation on SRH and LS. Results. Participants in highly deprived municipalities tended to report poorer SRH and lower LS. For example, when living in municipalities falling in the highest tertile of municipality-level deprivation as measured by the z-scoring method, SRH and LS scores worsened by a standard deviation of 0.05 (p<0.05) when compared with those living in municipalities falling in the lowest tertile of deprivation. In addition, health behavior mediated between 17.6% and 33.1% of the impact of municipality-level deprivation on SRH and LS, depending on model specifications.Conclusion. Results showed that area-level deprivation modestly decreased an individual’s general health conditions and subjective well-being, underscoring the need for public health policies to improve area-level socioeconomic conditions.

Good governance matters for well-being: the case of Kazakhstan

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Balzhan Serikbayeva ◽  
Kanat Abdulla
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Trust In Government ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Government Institutions ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of the perceived performance of the government on subjective well-being based on the individual-level survey data of Kazakhstan. Having implemented substantial economic and public administration reforms over nearly three decades since independence in 1991 Kazakhstan presents an interesting case to explore how people perceive the outcomes of the reforms. Design/methodology/approach This paper estimates the relationship between life satisfaction and its determinants with the ordered logit model making use of the ranking information in the response variable. Findings This paper establishes that satisfaction with public service delivery, living conditions and personal and economic factors that are subject to public policy, along with trust in government institutions contribute to life satisfaction. The more satisfied individuals are with the quality, affordability and accessibility of public services, the more satisfied they are with their lives as a whole. A higher level of trust in government institutions increases individual well-being. Originality/value There is still a lack of research on subjective well-being in the less developed world. This study will help reveal important determinants of subjective well-being in the context of a developing country. Also, this study is valuable in terms of examining the impact of citizen satisfaction with public service delivery on subjective wellbeing based on rich individual-level data of the national quality of life (QoL) survey.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document