IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i3p2177-d1045517.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Online Education and Subjective Well-Being in China: Multiple Mediating Roles of Social Class Mobility and Social Tolerance

Author

Listed:
  • Shuang Liu

    (School of Marxism, Fujian Jiangxia University, Fuzhou 350001, China)

  • Yan Cao

    (School of Finance, Fujian Jiangxia University, Fujian Jiangxia University, Fuzhou 350001, China)

  • Hao Zhang

    (School of Electronic Information Science, Fujian Jiangxia University, Fujian Jiangxia University, Fuzhou 350001, China)

Abstract

(1) Background: Online education has developed into a new form of education. However, the relationship between online education and subjective well-being has seldom been extensively studied in the literature. Thus, this study provides quantitative evidence regarding the effect of online education on subjective well-being. (2) Objective: The objective of this study was to reveal the net effect of online education on subjective well-being and explore the mediating roles of social class mobility and social tolerance between online education and subjective well-being. (3) Methods: Based on the 2019 China Comprehensive Social Survey data, the “counterfactual framework” was constructed using the propensity score matching method, and 1029 matched samples were analyzed. (4) Results: Online education is significantly positively correlated with subjective well-being (average treatment effect on the treated, ATT = 0.189, p < 0.01). Social class mobility and social tolerance serially mediate the relationship of online education and subjective well-being (the intermediary role of social class mobility is 0.0163; the mediating role of social tolerance is 0.0064). (5) Conclusion: This study confirms the positive predictive effect of online education on subjective well-being and affirms the multiple mediating roles of social class mobility and social tolerance between online education and subjective well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Shuang Liu & Yan Cao & Hao Zhang, 2023. "Online Education and Subjective Well-Being in China: Multiple Mediating Roles of Social Class Mobility and Social Tolerance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:2177-:d:1045517
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/3/2177/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/3/2177/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. McIntosh, Steven & Vignoles, Anna, 2001. "Measuring and Assessing the Impact of Basic Skills on Labour Market Outcomes," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 53(3), pages 453-481, July.
    2. Peter Sanfey & Utku Teksoz, 2007. "Does transition make you happy?," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 15, pages 707-731, October.
    3. Robert J. MacCulloch & Rafael Di Tella & Andrew J. Oswald, 2001. "Preferences over Inflation and Unemployment: Evidence from Surveys of Happiness," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(1), pages 335-341, March.
    4. Stelios H Zanakis & William Newburry & Vasyl Taras, 2016. "Global Social Tolerance Index and multi-method country rankings sensitivity," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 47(4), pages 480-497, May.
    5. Jichao Geng & Shoukui Xun & Jian Yang & Na Yang, 2022. "Online Education and Undergraduates’ Academic Record during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China: Evidence from Large-Scale Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-14, October.
    6. Richard Layard, 2006. "Happiness and Public Policy: a Challenge to the Profession," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(510), pages 24-33, March.
    7. Kaisa Kotakorpi & Jani‐Petri Laamanen, 2010. "Welfare State and Life Satisfaction: Evidence from Public Health Care," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 77(307), pages 565-583, July.
    8. Peter Sanfey & Utku Teksoz, 2007. "Does transition make you happy?1," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 15(4), pages 707-731, October.
    9. Ada Ferrer-i-Carbonell & Paul Frijters, 2004. "How Important is Methodology for the estimates of the determinants of Happiness?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 114(497), pages 641-659, July.
    10. Ștefan Andrei Neștian & Ana Iolanda Vodă & Silviu Mihail Tiță & Alexandra Luciana Guță & Elena-Sabina Turnea, 2021. "Does Individual Knowledge Management in Online Education Prepare Business Students for Employability in Online Businesses?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-24, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Popova, Olga, 2014. "Can religion insure against aggregate shocks to happiness? The case of transition countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 804-818.
    2. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/7fst0pcf5j8cr99e1nuobt97rn is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Sergei Guriev & Ekaterina Zhuravskaya, 2009. "(Un)happiness in Transition," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 23(2), pages 143-168, Spring.
    4. Arik Levinson, 2013. "Happiness as a Public Policy Tool," Working Papers gueconwpa~13-13-04, Georgetown University, Department of Economics.
    5. Iddisah Sulemana, 2015. "The Effect of Fear of Crime and Crime Victimization on Subjective Well-Being in Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 121(3), pages 849-872, April.
    6. Nikolova, Milena, 2016. "Minding the happiness gap: Political institutions and perceived quality of life in transition," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 45(S), pages 129-148.
    7. Juncal Cuñado & Fernando Gracia, 2013. "Environment and Happiness: New Evidence for Spain," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 112(3), pages 549-567, July.
    8. Ariel Herbert Fambeu & Georges Dieudonné Mbondo & Patricia Tchawa Yomi, 2022. "Bigger or better? The effect of public spending on happiness in Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(4), pages 487-499, December.
    9. Grosfeld, Irena & Senik, Claudia, 2008. "The Emerging Aversion to Inequality. Evidence from Poland 1992-2005," CEPREMAP Working Papers (Docweb) 0805, CEPREMAP.
    10. Bert G.M. Van Landeghem, 2008. "Human Well-Being over the Life Cycle: Longitudinal Evidence from a 20-Year Panel," LICOS Discussion Papers 21308, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    11. Chun-Hung Lin & Suchandra Lahiri & Ching-Po Hsu, 2014. "Happiness and Regional Segmentation: Does Space Matter?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 57-83, February.
    12. Van Landeghem, Bert, 2012. "A test for the convexity of human well-being over the life cycle: Longitudinal evidence from a 20-year panel," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 81(2), pages 571-582.
    13. Brown, Sarah & Kontonikas, Alexandros & Montagnoli, Alberto & Moro, Mirko & Onnis, Luisanna, 2021. "Life satisfaction and austerity: Expectations and the macroeconomy," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    14. Jantsch, Antje & Wunder, Christoph & Hirschauer, Norbert, 2016. "Lebensqualität In Deutschland – Ein Vergleich Von Ländlichen Und Städtischen Regionen," 56th Annual Conference, Bonn, Germany, September 28-30, 2016 244798, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    15. Welsch, Heinz, 2009. "Implications of happiness research for environmental economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(11), pages 2735-2742, September.
    16. Feeny, Simon & McDonald, Lachlan & Posso, Alberto, 2014. "Are Poor People Less Happy? Findings from Melanesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 448-459.
    17. Kaisa Kotakorpi & Jani‐Petri Laamanen, 2010. "Welfare State and Life Satisfaction: Evidence from Public Health Care," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 77(307), pages 565-583, July.
    18. David G. Blanchflower & Carol L. Graham, 2022. "The Mid-Life Dip in Well-Being: a Critique," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 287-344, May.
    19. Gruen, Carola & Klasen, Stephan, 2012. "Has transition improved well-being?," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 11-30.
    20. Anita Ratcliffe, 2010. "Housing wealth or economic climate: Why do house prices matter for well-being?," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 10/234, The Centre for Market and Public Organisation, University of Bristol, UK.
    21. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Kristina Maslauskaite, 2011. "Can policy make us happier? Individual characteristics, socio-economic factors and life satisfaction in Central and Eastern Europe," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 5(1), pages 77-96.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:2177-:d:1045517. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.