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Specialization and Happiness: A U.S.-Japan Comparison

Author

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  • Ono, Hiroshi

    (Texas A&M University)

  • Lee, Kristen Schultz

    (University at Buffalo, SUNY)

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between specialization and happiness in marriage in the U.S. and Japan. Our findings, based on the General Social Surveys in the U.S. and Japan, indicate both similarities and differences in the determinants of marital happiness in the two countries. In the U.S., the findings are mixed. Women in the U.S. are more likely to embrace the bargaining model where their happiness is determined by their own income. Men in the U.S. are more likely to support the specialization model; they are happier if their wives are not working or, alternatively, if they are financially dependent on their wives. In Japan, we find support for the specialization model, particularly in the case of women; they are happier if they are specialized in the household and they have a higher household income. Our research highlights how marital quality is affected by the institutional context and the normative environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Ono, Hiroshi & Lee, Kristen Schultz, 2006. "Specialization and Happiness: A U.S.-Japan Comparison," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 631, Stockholm School of Economics, revised 18 Feb 2008.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:hastef:0631
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender; family; marital happiness; specialization; bargaining;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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