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Women and happiness

In: Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Happiness and Quality of Life

Author

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  • Nicola Matteucci
  • Sabrina Vieira Lima

Abstract

We survey the happiness and economics field to systematize the explanations of the happiness gender gap, whose puzzling evidence stands out both synchronically and diachronically. Further, this analysis is completed by an interdisciplinary review of competing perspectives, mostly from psychology and medical sciences. Beside disciplinary specificities and differences, results and explanations also reveal some intriguing commonalities. Psychology and medical sciences (also assisted by cutting-edge medical technologies) lead in the static (time-invariant) explanation of happiness and its gender gap, while economic works are better equipped to detect external factors and the role of time-varying objective life conditions. In particular, the happiness and economics field has provided original evidence on the country and time-variant nature of the happiness gender gap. Finally, different disciplines have uncovered the common stylized fact that women are increasingly worse off during their life, through aging, with respect to men: its full explanation still remains at the centre of the research agenda.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicola Matteucci & Sabrina Vieira Lima, 2016. "Women and happiness," Chapters, in: Luigino Bruni & Pier Luigi Porta (ed.), Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Happiness and Quality of Life, chapter 19, pages 419-447, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:elg:eechap:15606_19
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    Cited by:

    1. Leonardo Becchetti & Gianluigi Conzo, 2021. "Avoiding a “despair death crisis” in Europe: the drivers of human (un)sustainability," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 68(4), pages 485-526, December.
    2. Sutirtha Bandyopadhyay, 2020. "Gendered Well-Being: Cross-Sectional Evidence from Poor Urban Households in India," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 151(1), pages 281-308, August.
    3. Raimondo Maria Pavarin, 2016. "Gioco problematico: evidenze empiriche e riflessioni per la prevenzione," PRISMA Economia - Societ? - Lavoro, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(3), pages 16-40.
    4. Hossain, Mahbub & Asadullah, M. Niaz & Kambhampati, Uma, 2019. "Empowerment and life satisfaction: Evidence from Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 170-183.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economics and Finance; Research Methods;

    JEL classification:

    • A12 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Other Disciplines
    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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