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Relationship between education and well-being in China

Author

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  • Sijia Liu

    (Jönköping University)

  • Almas Heshmati

    (Jönköping University)

Abstract

Well-being is often quantitatively measured based on individuals’ income or health situation but the relationship between education and well-being has not been fully investigated. It is also important to compare well-being using different individual characteristics especially gender. This paper analyzes well-being using a unique dataset from the Chinese General Social Surveys in 2012, 2013, and 2015. Two measures of well-being are used: self-assessed unidimensional subjective well-being and parametrically estimated multidimensional objective well-being. Objective well-being is a composite parametric index with contributions from different domains of education influenced by identity, capability, and material well-being. These help in understanding the differences between and compare subjective and objective well-being. The results of our descriptive and regression analysis suggests that the multidimensional well-being index differs from subjective well-being in ranking individuals grouped by important common characteristics. These differences are captured by our study which helps to broaden the measurement and analysis of the multidimensionality of the well-being index. Education influences well-being positively, conditional on controlling for identity, capability, material and marital status, and Confucianism. Investments in education and female empowerment which target well-being measures will help reduce the dimensionality of the gender gap in rural China, in particular those attributed to Confucianism.

Suggested Citation

  • Sijia Liu & Almas Heshmati, 2023. "Relationship between education and well-being in China," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 25(1), pages 123-151, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jsecdv:v:25:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s40847-022-00193-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s40847-022-00193-1
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; Multidimensional well-being; Principal component analysis; Chinese females;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C38 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Classification Methdos; Cluster Analysis; Principal Components; Factor Analysis
    • C43 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Index Numbers and Aggregation
    • D60 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - General
    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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