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Who are your Neighbors? Neighbor Relationships and Subjective Well-Being in Japan

Author

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  • Hiromi Taniguchi

    (University of Louisville)

  • Deborah A. Potter

    (University of Louisville)

Abstract

Supportive relationships with neighbors have been shown to positively predict indicators of subjective well-being. Using data from the 2010 Japanese General Social Survey, we examine how neighbor relationships predict subjective well-being. Japan presents an interesting case to examine this question when considering its highly institutionalized neighborhood associations. We find that controlling for the safety and amenity aspects of the neighborhood environment, supportive neighbor relationships significantly increase men and women’s life satisfaction, but such relationships have a significant positive effect only on men’s happiness. The effects of neighborhood relationships on life satisfaction and happiness are significantly larger for men. Moreover, we find that the social and safety aspects of the neighborhood reinforce each other to increase life satisfaction also only for men. Implications of the gendered pattern of these results are discussed for future research on the association between neighbor relationships and subjective well-being in Japan and beyond.

Suggested Citation

  • Hiromi Taniguchi & Deborah A. Potter, 2016. "Who are your Neighbors? Neighbor Relationships and Subjective Well-Being in Japan," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 11(4), pages 1425-1443, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ariqol:v:11:y:2016:i:4:d:10.1007_s11482-015-9445-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11482-015-9445-4
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    Cited by:

    1. Noelia Somarriba Arechavala & Pilar Zarzosa Espina & Ana Teresa López Pastor, 2022. "The Importance of the Neighbourhood Environment and Social Capital for Happiness in a Vulnerable District: The Case of the Pajarillos District in Spain," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 1941-1965, June.
    2. Allison Ross & Craig A. Talmage & Mark Searle, 2019. "Toward a Flourishing Neighborhood: the Association of Happiness and Sense of Community," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(5), pages 1333-1352, November.
    3. Yuji Honjo & Kenta Ikeuchi & Hiroki Nakamura, 2022. "The Mediating Effect of Financial Motives in the Association between Entrepreneurial Experience and Subjective Well-Being: Evidence from Japan," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(2), pages 1043-1067, April.
    4. Andrea Rishworth & Susan J. Elliott & Joseph Kangmennaang, 2020. "Getting Old Well in Sub Saharan Africa: Exploring the Social and Structural Drivers of Subjective Wellbeing among Elderly Men and Women in Uganda," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-18, March.
    5. Jorge J. Varela & Jaime Alfaro & Roberto Melipillán & Denise Oyarzún Gómez & Mònica González-Carrasco, 2020. "Perceptions of Safety, Satisfaction with Neighborhood and Life Satisfaction Among Chilean Adolescents," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(4), pages 1489-1502, August.

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