Work

Individual’s gender ideology and happiness in China

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: Gender ideologies encompass normative beliefs about how men and women should behave in certain contexts. Although many studies have examined factors predicting individuals' gender ideologies, little research has focused on the implications of gender ideology on individuals' subjective well-being, especially in Asian contexts. Using the pooled cross-sectional data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS, 2010/12/13/15), we explore the association between individual-level gender ideology and happiness in rural and urban China, paying special attention to potential variations in this association by gender and education level. Results suggest that an egalitarian gender ideology is positively associated with happiness in both rural and urban China. The association is stronger for urban men than for urban women and stronger for higher educated people than for lower educated people. The study highlights the importance of gender equality on individual subjective well-being and extends the literature by contextualizing individual-level gender ideology in China.

Source: Chinese Sociological Review

DOI: 10.1080/21620555.2021.1871727

Authors: Yan Zhang, Hui Liu

Institution: Michigan State University

Language: English

Topic: Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Gender equality

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute on Aging