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The Relationship Between the Gender Gap in Subjective Well-Being and Leisure Activities in China

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  • Dong Zhou

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Langchuan Peng

    (Nanjing Audit University)

Abstract

This study explains the observed gender gap in subjective well-being (SWB) in China using heterogeneous marginal utility derived from leisure hours. We find that women in China exhibit higher levels of well-being than men and that there is a conditional unexplained gender gap in SWB ranging between 0.15 and 0.17. This conditional gap can be partly (30–40%) explained by the gender difference in the marginal utility of leisure hours. Meanwhile, we find a strong negative effect of hours spent on housework. These findings are robust to a variety of model specifications and subsamples.

Suggested Citation

  • Dong Zhou & Langchuan Peng, 2018. "The Relationship Between the Gender Gap in Subjective Well-Being and Leisure Activities in China," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(7), pages 2139-2166, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:19:y:2018:i:7:d:10.1007_s10902-017-9913-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-017-9913-7
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