The Impact of Modern Economic Growth on Urban–Rural Differences in Subjective Well-Being (original) (raw)
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2015
Considerable work, based on the Easterlin Paradox, substantiates that both absolute income and interpersonal income comparisons matter for individuals’ life satisfaction (subjective wellbeing). Most studies show that the inter-personal comparisons which matter most are those set in relation to similar intra-national individuals. One recent contribution, however, shows also that inter-national income comparisons matter for life satisfaction. Using European and World Values Survey data, we confirm the intra-national predictions of the Easterlin Paradox for developed countries. Individuals’ life satisfaction rises as their personal income rises. However, their life satisfaction falls as the incomes of similar individuals within their own country rise. The coefficients on these two effects are approximately equal, in line with Easterlin’s findings. Thus, ceteris paribus, an overall rise in a country’s income that affects each individual by the same proportion leaves overall subjective w...
Urban-Rural Differences in Subjective Well- being: Turkey Case
The study explores whether urban and rural disparities in terms of material and non-material conditions are reflected in the happiness of rural and urban residents in the case of Turkey. The study aims at contributing to the empirical literature on the geographic dimension of happiness by examining differences in rural and urban determinants in the case of a developing country since developing countries have been rarely examined despite their rapid urbanization and their efforts to improve rural development. We analyze the data from a nationally representative survey collected by TURKSTAT through a series of linear and ordered logit regressions. The findings of the study indicate that the mean happiness of urban areas is higher than that of rural areas over time, apart from 2011, while there is a convergence between rural and urban happiness on average. In estimated regressions, we could not find statistically significant coefficients on a rural dummy. In separate estimations for both sub-samples, we found that differences in rural and urban happiness occur especially in economic estimators. Employment status, social security coverage, and income level are not statistically significant estimators of the rural sample, contrary to the urban sample and the sample as a whole. Also, the perceived social pressure and positive expectations for the country’s future are not statistically significant for the rural sample, while they are significant for the urban sample. Finally, urban happiness is positively correlated with both satisfaction with central public services and local public services, while rural happiness has a statistically signi¿ cant association only with those of central government services.
Exploring Urban–Rural Paradox: Does Going Rural Mean Higher Life Satisfaction?
Italian Economic Journal, 2023
A stylised fact in regional and urban studies of life satisfaction in developed countries is that people living in cities report being less satisfied than those in rural areas. Building upon the theoretical framework of Sen's capability approach, along with research on life satisfaction and amenities, this paper examines the role of amenity availability and accessibility, as well as social relations, in shaping life satisfaction. Using data from the 2013-2018 household survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) in Italian regions at the NUTS2 level, this study explores the role of availability and accessibility of amenities and social relations on urban-rural life satisfaction. Results suggest that the likelihood of having higher life satisfaction is associated with living in wealthier rural places where higher-ranked cities exert accessibility and positive externalities in line with the borrowed size concept by Alonso (Daedalus 102(4):191-206, 1973).
Urban–Rural Differences in Quality of Life across the European Union
Regional Studies, 2009
This paper analyses the European Quality of Life Survey 2003, to explore urban-rural differences in income, deprivation, and other life domains. The main conclusion is that the richest countries in the EU show little evidence of significant urban-rural differences, whereas, in the poorer countries of the east and south, rural areas have a much lower level of perceived welfare and quality of life, particularly in the candidate countries. Despite this, subjective well-being is not significantly different, and this paradox is explored through multi-level modelling. The paper concludes by considering the policy implications for rural policy, urban policy and cohesion policy.
A Review: Urbanization and Life Satisfaction
With urbanization, the burden to earn more and live rich is mounting and the ability to reach their own /societal expectations lead to pressure that may lead to varied degree of satisfaction in life. Life satisfaction is a subjective assessment of the quality of one‟s life. The present study tends to find the criteria that influence life satisfaction of the people in modern world. The following objectives were set to achieve the stated aim (a) To understand life-satisfaction (b) To find determinants of life satisfaction (c) Who are more satisfied with life. The study was conducted through desk research method. Attempts have been made to draw inferences from various researches and reports. The view of multi-angled literatures has been incorporated as felt fit to the context. The results interpreted are that education, increase of income, being married, family size (number of children), good health, connection with community, religious attitude are some important happiness drivers and has positive impact on life satisfaction.
Urban Studies, 2021
Although more and more people choose to live in (large) cities, people in the Western world generally report lower levels of subjective well-being in urban areas than in rural areas. This article examines whether these urban–rural differences in subjective well-being are (partly) driven by selective migration patterns. To this end, we utilise residential mobility data from the United Kingdom based on 12 waves of the British Household Panel Survey. We explore urban–rural differences in life satisfaction as well as changes in life satisfaction of people moving from rural areas to urban areas (or vice versa), hereby paying specific attention to selection and composition effects. The results show that selective migration can, at least partly, explain the urban–rural subjective well-being differential through the selection of less satisfied people in cities and more satisfied people in the countryside. While the average life satisfaction of urban–rural migrants is higher compared to the ...
Journal of Rural and Community Development, 2013
This paper examines how satisfaction with life (SWL) varies for residents in different zones of the rural-urban continuum, using objective and subjective indicators for 1,971 respondents in the county-sized municipality of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Data are from the STAR project, which was a combined time diary and travel survey. Respondents rated their overall feelings about life quality (global SWL) and feelings for life domains (e.g. health, finances). SWL scores were highest in the inner city (IC), moderate in the suburbs and inner commuter belt (ICB), and lowest in the outer commuter belt (OCB). These variations are partly related to the geography of socio-demographic ‘control’ variables, such as age, household income, and marriage status. They also relate strongly to self-rated health status (highest in the IC), and ratings of ‘time stress’ (lowest in the IC, highest in the commuter belt). Some inherently geographic variables also relate significantly to SWL: the most notable are ‘sense of community belonging’ (highest in the IC, lowest in the OCB) and ‘unsafe walking after dark’ (least safe in the IC, safest in the OCB). Keywords: life satisfaction, well-being, rural-urban, community, health