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Subjective well-being and social comparison: A comparative study on rural Thailand and Vietnam

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  • Thi Kim Cuong Pham
  • Phu Nguyen-Van
  • Huu Thanh-Tam Nguyen
  • Thi Anh-Dao Tran
  • Kone Noukignonb

Abstract

This paper analyzes the determinants of the households’ welfare perception using a survey database on rural areas in Thailand and Vietnam which have similar economic and social conditions. Welfare perception corresponds to the households’ subjective assessment of their general situations. We focus on the social comparison and take into account geographical isolation, relative poverty, harsh living conditions, economic and environmental risks as well as the households’ degree of risk acceptance. Our study shows that households, in both countries, are sensitive to income and relative poverty, but only Thai households are concerned with wealth comparison. In particular, this comparison is asymmetric. Environmental risks as well as households’ attitude to risks differently affect the households’ well-being in both countries. However, we observe a similarity in the effect of the risks’ monetary consequences.

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  • Thi Kim Cuong Pham & Phu Nguyen-Van & Huu Thanh-Tam Nguyen & Thi Anh-Dao Tran & Kone Noukignonb, 2018. "Subjective well-being and social comparison: A comparative study on rural Thailand and Vietnam," Working Papers of BETA 2018-42, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    • Handle: RePEc:ulp:sbbeta:2018-42
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    Cited by:

    1. Jean-Alain Héraud & Phu Nguyen-Van & Thi Kim Cuong Pham, 2020. "Public services and subjective well-being in a European city: The case of Strasbourg metropolitan area," Working Papers of BETA 2020-21, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    environmental risks; economic risks; rural area; social comparison; subjective well-being.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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