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A Cross-Country Analysis of Perceived Economic Status and Life Satisfaction in High- and Low-Income Countries

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  • Camfield, Laura
  • Esposito, Lucio

Abstract

What are the challenges posed by the analysis of self-reported life satisfaction and material wellbeing/hardship? We explore the complex relationship between objective and subjective indicators using primary data from two diverse sources—a questionnaire survey of 3883 undergraduate students in eight economically developed and developing countries and interviews with 310 adults in the Dominican Republic. Our findings underline the value of subjective data; at the same time, they stress the importance for development researchers of gaining a deeper understanding of what subjective data really tell us, alongside the need for a richer conceptualization of individual emotions and states of mind.

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  • Camfield, Laura & Esposito, Lucio, 2014. "A Cross-Country Analysis of Perceived Economic Status and Life Satisfaction in High- and Low-Income Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 212-223.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:59:y:2014:i:c:p:212-223
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.01.018
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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. Yipeng Tang, 2020. "It’s not only Work and Pay: The Moderation Role of Teachers’ Professional Identity on their Job Satisfaction in Rural China," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(4), pages 971-990, September.
    4. Matthys, Marie-Luise & Acharya, Sushant & Khatri, Sanjaya, 2021. "“Before cardamom, we used to face hardship”: Analyzing agricultural commercialization effects in Nepal through a local concept of the Good Life," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    5. Jo Durham & Keith Rickart, 2017. "Using Rasch Measurement to Evaluate a Perceived Improvement in Access to Financial Asset Scale in Rural Lao PDR," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(5), pages 1053-1069, November.

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