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Subjective Well-Being by Partnership Status and Its Dependence on the Normative Climate
[Impact du contexte normatif sur le bien-être subjectif par statut d’union]

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  • Ellen Verbakel

    (Tilburg University)

Abstract

This study first examines the relationship between partnership status and subjective well-being in 45 European countries by analyzing the European Values Study 2008. It was expected and empirically confirmed that married individuals have the highest level of well-being, followed by (in order) cohabiting, dating, single, and finally widowed and divorced individuals. In addition, this study examines to what extent the well-being gaps depend on the normative climate in which an individual lives. It is hypothesized that: (a) being in a non-married relationship (especially cohabitation and divorce) lowers well-being compared to being married in societies that reject non-traditional partnership statuses; and (b) not having a partner is especially detrimental for well-being levels in familialistic societies, which emphasize the importance of a strong, close-knit family. The normative climate appears to hardly affect well-being gaps between partnership statuses. Only the gap between divorced and married women is significantly wider in familialistic societies. It is concluded that the weak dependence of well-being on the normative climate may point at high autonomy in private, relationship-related decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Ellen Verbakel, 2012. "Subjective Well-Being by Partnership Status and Its Dependence on the Normative Climate [Impact du contexte normatif sur le bien-être subjectif par statut d’union]," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 28(2), pages 205-232, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eurpop:v:28:y:2012:i:2:d:10.1007_s10680-012-9257-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10680-012-9257-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fausta Ongaro & Stefano Mazzuco & Silvia Meggiolaro, 2009. "Economic Consequences of Union Dissolution in Italy: Findings from the European Community Household Panel," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 25(1), pages 45-65, February.
    2. Monika Mynarska, 2010. "Deadline for Parenthood: Fertility Postponement and Age Norms in Poland [L’âge limite pour avoir des enfants: Report de la procréation et normes d’âge en Pologne]," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 26(3), pages 351-373, August.
    3. Clara H. Mulder & William A. V. Clark & Michael Wagner, 2006. "Resources, Living Arrangements and First Union Formation in the United States, the Netherlands and West Germany," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 22(1), pages 3-35, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bruno Arpino & Jordi Gumà & Albert JuliÃ, 2021. "Deviations From Standard Family Histories and Subjective Wellbeing at Older Ages," Econometrics Working Papers Archive 2021_16, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti".
    2. Miika Mäki & Anna Erika Hägglund & Anna Rotkirch & Sangita Kulathinal & Mikko Myrskylä, 2022. "Stable marital histories predict happiness and health across educational groups," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2022-035, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    3. Yingying Su & Carl D’Arcy & Muzi Li & Xiangfei Meng, 2022. "Determinants of Life Satisfaction and Self-Perceived Health in Nationally Representative Population-Based Samples, Canada, 2009 to 2018," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(6), pages 3285-3310, December.
    4. Jayanty Kuppusamy & Ajitha Angusamy & R.N. Anantharaman & Al-Mansor b Abu Said, 2023. "Life Satisfaction Among Working Women in a Southeast Asian Country," Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, Pro Global Science Association, vol. 25(1), pages 125-137, June.
    5. Marco Tosi & Marco Albertini, 2019. "Does Children’s Union Dissolution Hurt Elderly Parents? Linked Lives, Divorce and Mental Health in Europe," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(4), pages 695-717, October.
    6. Andrew E. Clark & Hippolyte d’Albis & Angela Greulich, 2021. "The age U-shape in Europe: the protective role of partnership," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 19(1), pages 293-318.
    7. Landaud, Fanny, 2021. "From employment to engagement? Stable jobs, temporary jobs, and cohabiting relationships," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    8. Owen, Ann L. & Handley-Miner, Isaac, 2015. "Race, Class, Gender, and the Happiness of College Students," MPRA Paper 67078, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Mikucka, Malgorzata, 2015. "The Life Satisfaction Advantage of Being Married and Gender Specialization," MPRA Paper 59698, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Emiliano Sironi, 2019. "Job satisfaction as a determinant of employees’ optimal well-being in an instrumental variable approach," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(4), pages 1721-1742, July.
    11. Xingmin Shi & Xueping Li & Xieyang Chen & Luping Zhang, 2022. "Objective air quality index versus subjective perception: which has a greater impact on life satisfaction?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 6860-6877, May.
    12. Juergen Bitzer & Erkan Goeren & Heinz Welsch, 2023. "How the Well-Being Function Varies with Age: The Importance ofIncome, Health, and Social Relations over the Life Cycle," Working Papers V-442-23, University of Oldenburg, Department of Economics, revised Jul 2023.
    13. Lonneke van den Berg, 2023. "The educational gradient in young singlehood: The role of gender and the gender climate," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 48(6), pages 153-188.
    14. Maryam Dilmaghani, 2019. "Sexual orientation and the ‘cohabitation gap’ in life satisfaction in Canada," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1163-1189, December.
    15. John F Helliwell & Haifang Huang, 2013. "Comparing the Happiness Effects of Real and On-Line Friends," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-17, September.
    16. Gregor Gonza & Anže Burger, 2017. "Subjective Well-Being During the 2008 Economic Crisis: Identification of Mediating and Moderating Factors," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(6), pages 1763-1797, December.
    17. Arpino, Bruno & Gumà, Jordi & Julià, Albert, 2023. "Non-standard family histories and wellbeing at older ages," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 338(C).

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