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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. Landaud, Fanny, 2021. "From employment to engagement? Stable jobs, temporary jobs, and cohabiting relationships," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    5. Owen, Ann L. & Handley-Miner, Isaac, 2015. "Race, Class, Gender, and the Happiness of College Students," MPRA Paper 67078, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. 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.
    7. Jürgen Bitzer & Erkan Gören & Heinz Welsch, 2024. "How the wellbeing function varies with age: the importance of income, health and social relations over the lifecycle," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 91(363), pages 809-836, July.
    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    10. 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.
    11. 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.
    12. 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.
    13. Mikucka, Malgorzata, 2015. "The Life Satisfaction Advantage of Being Married and Gender Specialization," MPRA Paper 59698, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. 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.
    15. 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.
    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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