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Minorities in Rural China: Poorer but Inherently Happier?

Author

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  • John Knight
  • Li Shi
  • Yuan Chang

Abstract

This is a pioneering study of the determinants of the subjective well-being of ethnic minority people in rural China, using a specially designed sample survey relating to 2011. The underlying hypothesis is that the lifestyle and attitudes of ethnic minorities contribute to their happiness. Five related hypotheses are tested. The minority group is equally happy as the Han group. However, whereas minorities’ much lower income reduces their happiness, this disadvantage is neutralised by their greater inherent capacity for happiness – much of it derived from personal relationships but not, it seems, from lesser materialism or concentrated living together. There is evidence of considerable heterogeneity in happiness across various ethnic minorities. Suggestions are made for further research, including analysis of the (positive) effects of lifestyle against the (negative) effects of perceived discrimination. There is a deeper question with which the paper connects: if subjective well-being is accepted as a criterion for social evaluation, does economic development produce cultural change for the better or for the worse?

Suggested Citation

  • John Knight & Li Shi & Yuan Chang, 2014. "Minorities in Rural China: Poorer but Inherently Happier?," CSAE Working Paper Series 2014-26, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    • Handle: RePEc:csa:wpaper:2014-26
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    File URL: https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:2b183be9-2847-4a29-8a08-365052a9f8f8
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Sor Tho Ng & Nai Peng Tey & M Niaz Asadullah, 2017. "What matters for life satisfaction among the oldest-old? Evidence from China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-16, February.
    2. Asadullah, M. Niaz & Xiao, Saizi & Yeoh, Emile, 2018. "Subjective well-being in China, 2005–2010: The role of relative income, gender, and location," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 83-101.
    3. John Knight & Bianjing Ma & Ramani Gunatilaka, 2020. "The puzzle of falling happiness despite rising income in rural China: ten hypotheses," Economics Series Working Papers 899, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    4. Kaizhi Yu & Yun Zhang & Hong Zou & Chenchen Wang, 2019. "Absolute Income, Income Inequality and the Subjective Well-Being of Migrant Workers in China: Toward an Understanding of the Relationship and Its Psychological Mechanisms," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-27, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    China; Culture; Ethnic minorities; Happiness function; Lifestyle; Subjective well-being;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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