The Influence of Income and Social Capital on the Subjective Well-Being of Elderly Chinese People, Based on a Panel Survey

China has undergone many economic changes in the past four decades, and has seen an imbalance in economic development between rural and urban regions. Meanwhile, it also has an aging population. Using panel data on 3590 elderly residents aged between 60 and 95 in 28 provinces in China in 2015, this study explored older adults’ subjective well-being in terms of income, relative income, and social capital. The ordinary least square (OLS) regression results showed that the effect of actual income on subjective well-being was weak, and relative income and social capital had a significant effect on the happiness of urban and rural residents; however, there were substantial differences between urban and rural areas associated with economic inequality, social context, social security, and demographic characteristics. Expanding income inequality is contributing to decreased happiness of the rural elderly, while higher social trust and social interaction mitigate this negative influence. This paper also verified that relative income has a mediating or moderating effect on income and the subjective well-being of urban and rural elderly people. The evidence indicates that the Chinese government should pay more attention to reducing the income gap between and within urban and rural groups, and take advantage of social capital to improve the subjective well-being of the elderly population.

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Influence of Rural Social Capital and Production Mode on the Subjective Well-Being of Farmers and Herdsmen: Empirical Discovery on Farmers and Herdsmen in Inner Mongolia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph19020695 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 695

Author(s):

Wenlong Li ◽

Suocheng Dong ◽

Haiying Lin ◽

Yu Li ◽

Zehong Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Capital ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Social Trust ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Individual Social Capital ◽

Production Models ◽

Rural Revitalization ◽

The Individual

Rural areas are crucial to the realization of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Rural social capital is indispensable for these areas to fulfil the SDGs. As China pursues rural revitalization, it is essential to achieve the sustainable development of rural areas within the agropastoral transition zone (APTZ) in northern China. The same applies to the SDGs’ realization in other APTZs across the globe. From the micro perspective of individual farmers and herdsmen, this article collected 732 microscopic datapoints through repeated rural surveys, and adopted the multivariate ordered probit model to empirically analyze how the subjective well-being of farmers and herdsmen in northern China’s APTZ was affected by the individual (person) and collective (community) layers of rural social capital. Specifically, the production mode was introduced to study the relationship between social capital and subjective well-being, and social capital was measured by a self-designed theoretical analysis framework, which covered six dimensions and two layers (person and community). It was verified that the individual social capital and collective social capital were mutually replaceable in terms of the effect on the subjective well-being of farmers and herdsmen. Additionally, this article examined the influence of different production modes on the social capital and subjective well-being of farmers and herdsmen, and discussed how the same amount of social capital contributes differently to the subjective well-being of farmers and herdsmen under different production models. The results showed that: (1) Social capital significantly promoted the subjective well-being of farmers and herdsmen, and social network was the leading contributor among the dimensions of individual social capital, while social trust was the leading contributor among the dimensions of collective social capital. By the contribution to the subjective well-being of farmers and herdsmen, the six dimensions of social capital can be ranked as social network > social trust > social participation > social standard > social fame > common vision. (2) Individual social capital and collective social capital were mutually replaceable in terms of enhancing the subjective well-being of farmers and herdsmen; when the individual social capital was insufficient, the collective social capital would exert a much greater influence on the subjective well-being of farmers and herdsmen; when the individual social capital grows, the farmers and herdsmen would depend less on collective social capital. (3) The same amount of social capital contributes differently to the subjective well-being of farmers and herdsmen under different production models; by contribution strength, the production models can be ranked as pure herdsmen (PH) > pure farmers (PF) > non-farmers/herdsmen (NFH) > farmers + herdsmen (FH). Finally, several policy suggestions were provided to improve the subjective well-being of farmers and herdsmen in APTZ. The results show that collective social capital eliminates the negative effect of individual social capital shortage on the subjective well-being of farmers and herdsmen. Thus, it is suggested to consider not only the construction of macroscopic hardware environment, but also to roll out policies and measures to improve the subjective well-being from the micro perspective of farmers and herdsmen. These suggestions are concentrated on the implementation of China’s rural revitalization strategy, and the creation of relevant institutions and cultural environments, as well as the optimization of the internal hierarchy of farmers and herdsmen’s social capital. The research results may help to promote the subjective well-being of farmers and herdsmen in rural areas within the APTZs of China and the world, and provide a reference and a path to realize SDGs in China and similar places across the globe.

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Social trust and emotional health in rural older adults in China: The mediating and moderating role of subjective well-being and subjective social status

10.21203/rs.3.rs-60031/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hongsheng Chen ◽

Zhenjun Zhu

Keyword(s):

Social Status ◽

Social Trust ◽

Emotional Health ◽

Family Members ◽

Well Being ◽

The Elderly ◽

Subjective Social Status ◽

Rural Elderly ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

The Impact

Abstract BackgroundChina is becoming an aging society. The emotional health of the elderly is gaining importance. Social trust is an important factor affecting emotional health, but existing studies have rarely considered the various effects of different types of social trust on rural elderly emotional health. Few studies have analysed the role of subjective well-being and subjective social status in the relationship between social trust and elderly emotional health.MethodsUsing the data of the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2016 (CLDS 2016) and regression models, this study selected 2084 rural respondents aged 60 years and above to analyse the impact of social trust on their emotional health. Social trust was divided into three categories: trust in family members, trust in friends, and trust in neighbours. This study also examined the mediating and moderating effects of subjective well-being and subjective social status on the relationship between social trust and emotional health.ResultsTrust in family members was significantly and positively associated with emotional health (coefficient=0.194, P<0.01) and subjective well-being (coefficient=0.177, P<0.01). Trust in friends was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient=0.097, P<0.01; coefficient=0.174, P<0.01, respectively). Trust in neighbours was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient=0.088, P<0.01; coefficient=0.177, P<0.01; respectively). Subjective well-being effectively reduced the impact of social trust in family, friends, and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly by 0.023, 0.022, and 0.023, respectively. Trust in friends and neighbours significantly and positively affected respondents’ subjective social status (coefficient=0.120, P<0.05; coefficient=0.090, P<0.10; respectively). Subjective social status effectively reduced the impact of social trust in friends and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly both by 0.004. The positive relationship between trust in family members and emotional health is weakened by subjective well-being.ConclusionsSocial trust, especially family relationships, play an important role in maintaining the emotional health of the rural elderly. In response to population ageing, more social policies must be introduced to care for the rural elderly and help them lead a happy and satisfactory life.

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SOCIAL CAPITAL, TRUST, AND MULTIPLE EQUILIBRIA IN ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE

Macroeconomic Dynamics ◽

10.1017/s136510051200034x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 282-315 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Katarzyna Growiec ◽

Jakub Growiec

Keyword(s):

Social Capital ◽

Economic Performance ◽

Multiple Equilibria ◽

Social Trust ◽

Contemporary Literature ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Bridging Social Capital ◽

Wide Range ◽

High Equilibrium

We propose a novel mechanism giving rise to poverty traps and multiple equilibria in economic performance. It is a potentially important source of persistent underdevelopment across countries and regions. At the core of this mechanism, bridging social capital and social trust feed back on each other, interdependently affecting individuals' earnings and subjective well-being. High trust and abundant bridging social capital reinforce each other, leading to a “high” equilibrium where both these variables take persistently high values, and earnings and well-being are high as well, whereas low trust and lack of bridging social capital create a vicious circle, leading to a “low trust trap” where all these variables are persistently low. The workings of our theoretical model are in agreement with a wide range of findings from the contemporary literature in sociology and social psychology.

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Social trust and emotional health in rural older adults in China: the mediating and moderating role of subjective well-being and subjective social status

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10617-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hongsheng Chen ◽

Zhenjun Zhu

Keyword(s):

Social Status ◽

Social Trust ◽

Emotional Health ◽

Family Members ◽

Well Being ◽

The Elderly ◽

Subjective Social Status ◽

Rural Elderly ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background China is becoming an aging society. The emotional health of the elderly is gaining importance. Social trust is an important factor affecting emotional health, but existing studies have rarely considered the various effects of different types of social trust on rural elderly emotional health. Few studies have analysed the role of subjective well-being and subjective social status in the relationship between social trust and elderly emotional health. Methods Using the data of the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2016 (CLDS 2016) and regression models, this study selected 2084 rural respondents aged 60 years and above to analyse the impact of social trust on their emotional health. Social trust was divided into three categories: trust in family members, trust in friends, and trust in neighbours. This study also examined the mediating and moderating effects of subjective well-being and subjective social status on the relationship between social trust and emotional health. Results Trust in family members was significantly and positively associated with emotional health (coefficient = 0.194, P < 0.01) and subjective well-being (coefficient = 0.177, P < 0.01). Trust in friends was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient = 0.097, P < 0.01; coefficient = 0.174, P < 0.01, respectively). Trust in neighbours was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient = 0.088, P < 0.01; coefficient = 0.177, P < 0.01; respectively). Subjective well-being effectively reduced the impact of social trust in family, friends, and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly by 0.023, 0.022, and 0.023, respectively. Trust in friends and neighbours significantly and positively affected respondents’ subjective social status (coefficient = 0.120, P < 0.05; coefficient = 0.090, P < 0.10; respectively). Subjective social status effectively reduced the impact of social trust in friends and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly both by 0.004. The positive relationship between trust in family members and emotional health is weakened by subjective well-being. Conclusions Social trust, especially family relationships, play an important role in maintaining the emotional health of the rural elderly. In response to population ageing, more social policies must be introduced to care for the rural elderly and help them lead a happy and satisfactory life.

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Examination of the Moderating Role of Household Income in the Association Between Cognitive Social Capital and Subjective Well-Being Among Rural Older Adults in Northeast China

Research on Aging ◽

10.1177/01640275211029014 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 016402752110290

Author(s):

Jingyue Zhang ◽

Yipeng Tian ◽

Nan Lu

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Capital ◽

Rural Community ◽

Household Income ◽

Social Trust ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Cognitive Social Capital ◽

The Relationship

The present study explored the moderating effects of household income on the relationship between cognitive social capital and subjective well-being in rural community-dwelling older adults in China. The data were derived from a rural community survey conducted in Liaoyuan City in China’s Jilin Province in 2019. The analytic model featured 458 respondents who completed the survey. We used multiple group analyses to test the hypotheses. A latent construct of cognitive social capital was built using social trust and reciprocity indicators. The results showed that household income had a significant moderating effect on the association between cognitive social capital and life satisfaction, but not on the relationship between cognitive social capital and depressive symptoms. Thus, household income and cognitive social capital should be used to assess subjective well-being in older populations. Older adults with low household income deserve particular attention in the design of future social capital policies and programs.

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Social Capital as a Resource of Subjective Well-Being: Mediating Role of Health Status

Forman Journal of Economic Studies ◽

10.32368/fjes.20201608 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

Author(s):

Muhammad Danish ◽

◽

Hafeez Khan

Keyword(s):

Social Capital ◽

Social Networks ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Health Status ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Social Trust ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Reported Health

Increase in social capital increases the social support in society, thus improves the health and well-being of an individual. This paper aims to analyze the role of social capital on subjective well-being (happiness, life satisfaction, and worth of life) and self-reported health status. The study deploys the Generalized Structural Equation Model with order logit to link social capital with health and subjective well-being (SWB) of people by utilizing the data of 1566 households and individuals in Punjab, Pakistan. Results of the study illustrate that social trust and the number of friends are strong predictors of self-reported health (SRH) status and subjective well-being of people. While memberships with organizations or alike is a weak predictor of SRH, it significantly affects the happiness of people. Our results also depict that SRH is the strong mediator between social capital and SWB; improved social networks lower the risk of poor health status, which improves the level of happiness and life satisfaction. The study suggests that a balanced distribution of different kinds of social networks is important for the self-reported health and subjective wellbeing of people in Pakistan.

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An Empirical Study of Happiness in Italy

The B E Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy ◽

10.2202/1935-1682.1965 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Vincenzo Scoppa ◽

Michela Ponzo

Keyword(s):

Social Capital ◽

Relative Income ◽

Well Being ◽

Demographic Characteristics ◽

Economic Conditions ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Limited Impact ◽

Large Cities ◽

Subjective Evaluations ◽

Public Transfers

Abstract This study analyzes the determinants of individual subjective well-being (happiness) in Italy by estimating microeconometric happiness equations in order to examine the effects of socio-demographic characteristics and economic conditions on subjective evaluations of happiness. Consistent with the findings in other advanced countries we find that income and wealth increase happiness and that unemployment is extremely bad for subjective well-being. In addition, we obtain some novel and interesting results for Italy including the following: income obtained by public transfers has a limited impact on subjective well-being; education increases happiness, even when controlling for income; Southern residents and individuals living in large cities are less happy; and social capital makes people happier. Finally, individuals care about relative income, in the sense that their happiness is negatively influenced by the income of others in their group of reference. Our results show that several non-economic variables are extremely important for subjective well-being.

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Buffer Stock Operations and Well-Being: The Case of Smallholder Farmers in Ghana

Journal of Happiness Studies ◽

10.1007/s10902-021-00391-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Emmanuel Abokyi ◽

Dirk Strijker ◽

Kofi Fred Asiedu ◽

Michiel N. Daams

Keyword(s):

Stock Price ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Well Being ◽

Buffer Stock ◽

Least Square ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Stabilization Policy ◽

Environmental Aspects ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Aid Policy

AbstractThis study investigates the possible causal relationship between buffer stock operations in Ghanaian agriculture and the well-being of smallholder farmers in a developing world setting. We analyze the differences in the objective and subjective well-being of smallholder farmers who do or do not participate in a buffer stock price stabilization policy initiative, using self-reported assessments of 507 farmers. We adopt a two-stage least square instrumental variable estimation to account for possible endogeneity. Our results provide evidence that participation in buffer stock operations improves the objective and subjective well-being of smallholder farmers by 20% and 15%, respectively. Also, with estimated coefficient of 1.033, we find a significant and robust relationship between objective well-being and subjective well-being among smallholder farmers. This relationship implies that improving objective well-being enhances the subjective well-being of the farmers. We also find that the activities of intermediaries decrease both the objective and subjective well-being of farmers. This study demonstrates that economic, social, and environmental aspects of agricultural life could constitute priorities for public policy in improving well-being, given their strong correlation with the well-being of farmers. Based on the results of this study, we provide a better understanding, which may aid policy-makers, that public buffer stockholding operations policy is a viable tool for improving the well-being of smallholder farmers in a developing country.

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