scholarly journals Selective migration and urban–rural differences in subjective well-being: Evidence from the United Kingdom

Urban Studies ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 004209802110230
Author(s):  
Marloes Hoogerbrugge ◽  
Martijn Burger
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Selective Migration ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Urban Rural

Although more and more people choose to live in (large) cities, people in the Western world generally report lower levels of subjective well-being in urban areas than in rural areas. This article examines whether these urban–rural differences in subjective well-being are (partly) driven by selective migration patterns. To this end, we utilise residential mobility data from the United Kingdom based on 12 waves of the British Household Panel Survey. We explore urban–rural differences in life satisfaction as well as changes in life satisfaction of people moving from rural areas to urban areas (or vice versa), hereby paying specific attention to selection and composition effects. The results show that selective migration can, at least partly, explain the urban–rural subjective well-being differential through the selection of less satisfied people in cities and more satisfied people in the countryside. While the average life satisfaction of urban–rural migrants is higher compared to the life satisfaction of rural–urban migrants, we do not find – on average – long-lasting life satisfaction effects of migration. At the same time, there are differences between sociodemographic groups in that we find that a move from the countryside to the city is positively associated with the life satisfaction of students while it is negatively associated with the life satisfaction of people with a non-tertiary education.

Is it Easier to Escape from Low Pay in Urban Areas? Evidence from the United Kingdom

2006 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 693-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Euan Phimister ◽  
Ioannis Theodossiou ◽  
Richard Upward
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Paid Employment ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Low Pay

In this paper we compare periods of low-paid employment between urban and rural areas in the United Kingdom. Using the British household panel survey, we estimate the probability that a period of low-paid employment will end, followed by a number of possible outcomes, namely a higher-paid job, self-employment, unemployment, and leaving the labour force. The results show that there are statistically significant differences in the dynamics of low pay across urban and rural labour markets, particularly in terms of exits to higher pay and out of the labour force. After controlling for different personal and job characteristics across markets, urban low-pay durations are somewhat shorter on average, with a higher probability of movement to a higher-paid job. The results suggest that any urban–rural differences in the typical low-pay experience are concentrated among certain types of individuals, such as young workers and women without qualifications.

The Covid-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom and subjective well-being: Have the self-employed suffered more due to hours and income reductions?

2021 ◽  
pp. 026624262098676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Yue ◽  
Marc Cowling
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Rare Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Data Set ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Hours Of Work ◽  
Period Data ◽  
The Uk

It is well documented that the self-employed experience higher levels of happiness than waged employees even when their incomes are lower. Given the UK government’s asymmetric treatment of waged workers and the self-employed, we use a unique Covid-19 period data set which covers the months leading up to the March lockdown and the months just after to assess three aspects of the Covid-19 crisis on the self-employed: hours of work reductions, the associated income reductions and the effects of both on subjective well-being. Our findings show the large and disproportionate reductions in hours and income for the self-employed directly contributed to a deterioration in their levels of subjective well-being compared to waged workers. It appears that their resilience was broken when faced with the reality of dealing with rare events, particularly when the UK welfare support response was asymmetric and favouring waged employees.

Who We Live With and How We Are Feeling: A Study of Household Living Arrangements and Subjective Well-Being Among Older Adults in China

2020 ◽  
pp. 016402752096154
Author(s):  
Wen-Jui Han ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
Cliff Whetung
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Relationship

Using a sample of Chinese adults over the age of 50 from wave 1 of the WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (n = 13,367), we investigated the relationship between living arrangements and subjective well-being (SWB) in regard to life satisfaction, happiness, and control. We also looked at the moderating role of resources, proxied by income and hukou status. Multivariate regression results indicate that living only with a spouse was significantly associated with better SWB. Multigenerational living arrangements may not always promote SWB, particularly when resources are constrained. Yet, results also underscore the importance of daughters and daughters-in-law in promoting SWB among older adults. Older adults in rural areas had better SWB, including greater life satisfaction if living with grandchildren only, compared to their urban peers living with a spouse only. Findings suggest that context matters in the association between living arrangements and older adults’ SWB.

scholarly journals Subjective Well-being and Intergenerational Support Exchange in Old Age in Rural Vietnam

2020 ◽  
pp. 69-91
Author(s):  
Nguyen Ha Dong
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Subjective Wellbeing ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Intergenerational Support ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Support Exchange

This paper investigates how intergeneration support influence rural elders’ subjective wellbeing in Vietnam, based on the data of the survey ‘Strengthening Social En gagement in Elderly Care in Changing Economic and Family Structure in Asia: Policy and Practical Dialogues between Local Communities in Vietnam and Japan’ conducted in 2017. The sample analysis of this paper is 307 respondents aged 60 and older in rural areas in the middle of Vietnam. Subjective wellbeing includes psychological well-being, self-rated health and life satisfaction. We find that all elders’ psychological wellbeing becomes more positive when they provide financial support for their children. Despite the economic difficulties and the prevalence of filial norm, the financial provision is not viewed as the burden to the older adults but helps them to confirm their position and power in the intergenerational relations. Nonetheless, receiving the spiritual care is more like to improve their psychological well-being and life satisfaction. The results suggest that the effect of the intergenerational support exchange should be taken into consideration when improving the quality of life for the elderly.

scholarly journals Cell Phone Use and Happiness Among Chinese Older Adults: Does Rural/Urban Residence Status Matter?

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-109
Author(s):  
Xiangnan Chai ◽  
Hina Kalyal
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Cell Phone ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Urban Residence ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Cell Phone Use

This study explores the relationship between cell phone use and self-reported happiness among older adults in Mainland China and whether rural/urban residence status moderates this relationship. The analysis is based on a sample of 6,952 respondents over the age of 60, from the 2010 wave of China Family Panel Studies. Findings show that using own cell phone is positively associated with self-reported happiness among Chinese older adults (odds ratio [ OR] = 1.283, p < .001). This relationship remains for respondents residing in rural areas ( OR = 1.616, p < .01) but not for their urban counterparts. Findings reflect on how the happiness of Chinese older adults has been affected by a growing shift in the traditional family values due to the unprecedented economic growth. Results also highlight the disparities between state support for older adults in rural and urban areas as well as the necessity to develop relevant policies to improve the subjective well-being of China’s rapidly growing population of older adults.

scholarly journals Happy Hosts? International Tourist Arrivals and Residents’ Subjective Well-being in Europe

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 599-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artjoms Ivlevs
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Tourism Impacts ◽  
Affective Component ◽  
International Tourist

While there has been a growing interest in the relationship between perceived tourism impacts and residents’ quality of life, little is known about how residents’ well-being is affected by actual tourist arrivals. This article studies the effect of international tourist arrivals on the subjective well-being—happiness and life satisfaction—of residents in European countries. Data come from the six waves of the European Social Survey, conducted in 32 countries in 2002-2013. The results of the OLS fixed-effects and instrumental-variable estimations suggest that tourist arrivals reduce residents’ life satisfaction. This negative relationship tends to be more pronounced in countries where tourism intensity is relatively high, as well as among people living in rural areas. In addition, tourist arrivals have a greater negative relationship with the evaluative component of subjective well-being (life satisfaction) than its affective component (happiness).

scholarly journals The Impact of Living Arrangements and Intergenerational Support on the Health Status of Older People in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 796-796
Author(s):  
Yazhen Yang ◽  
Maria Evandrou ◽  
Athina Vlachantoni
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Older People ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Intergenerational Support ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Research to-date has examined the impact of intergenerational support in terms of isolated types of support, or at one point in time, failing to provide strong evidence of the complex effect of support on older persons’ wellbeing. Using the Harmonised China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011, 2013 and 2015), this paper investigates the impact of older people’s living arrangements and intergenerational support provision/ receipt on their physical and psychological wellbeing, focusing on rural/ urban differences. The results show that receiving economic support from one’s adult children was a stronger predictor for higher life satisfaction among older rural residents compared to those in urban areas, while grandchild care provision was an important determinant for poor life satisfaction only for older urban residents. Receiving informal care from one’s adult children was associated with a poor (I)ADL functional status and with depressive symptoms among older rural people. Meanwhile, having weekly in-person and distant contact reduced the risk of depression among older people in both rural and urban areas. The paper shows that it is important to improve the level of public economic transfers and public social care towards vulnerable older people in rural areas, and more emphasis should be placed on improving the psychological well-being of urban older residents, such as with the early diagnosis of depression.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document