Migrants look for a better life. In what kind of country will they live happiest? Many migrants aspire to move to wealthy countries, but non-economic factors might be important as well in making a country livable for migrants. This issue is addressed here by examining the impact of macroeconomic conditions and non-economic macro-conditions (good governance and a pleasant social climate) on immigrants' happiness in twenty European nations. We find that immigrants' happiness depends both on economic and non-economic macro-conditions. The social climate is especially important, particularly in terms of a positive attitude in society towards migrants. Our findings imply that the choice of destination country matters for migrants’ happiness and that the discrepancy between migration motives and migration outcomes may constrain immigrants from maximizing subjective gains via migration. 相似文献
This study assesses the trends and differentials in length of quality life in the U.S. population as measured by happy life expectancy in 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000. The analysis combines age-specific prevalence rates of subjective well-being from a large nationally representative survey and life table estimates of mortality in decennial Census years. Employing the period prevalence-rate life table method—Sullivan method, the analysis finds evidence for improvement in quality of life in the U.S. Happy life expectancy largely increased in both absolute terms (number of years) and relative terms (proportion of life) over time at all adult ages examined. And increases in total life expectancy were mainly contributed by increases in expectancy in happy years rather than unhappy years. Happy life expectancy is longer than active life expectancy. And there has been greater compression of unhappiness than compression of morbidity. There are substantial differentials in happy life expectancy by sex and race because of differential prevalence rates of happiness. Women and whites had longer years of total and happy life expectancies at most ages and dates, while men and blacks had greater proportions of happy life expectancies across the three decades. Although race differentials generally decreased at older ages and with time, relative disadvantages of blacks persisted. 相似文献
The Anamnestic Comparative Self Assessment (ACSA) measure of subjective well-being (SWB) aims to reduce the problems of cultural
bias and relativity to external standards by allowing people to define the endpoints or ‘anchors’ of the measurement scale.
In medical terminology anamnestic denotes ‘based on memory’. The ACSA uses subjects’ memories of the best and worst periods
in their lives to define the anchors of the scale. They then assess their current quality of life relative to these personal
anchors. The South African pilot study tested the match between self-assessment of SWB with ACSA and the conventional single-item
measures of life satisfaction and happiness used in the South African Quality of Life Trends Study and analysed the narratives
of the best and worst times of life. The quota sample of 46 consisted of 26 residents of Makana district in the Eastern Cape
Province, South Africa, and 20 patients undergoing treatment in the local TB hospital. Mean SWB ratings with all three measures
of life satisfaction, happiness and ACSA were between 5 and 6 on a 0–10-point scale. Ratings on all three scales were positively
correlated. However, on ACSA the TB patients rated their current SWB 1.84 points lower than the community respondents, suggesting
a greater sensitivity of this measure. It was observed that the starting points of the life stories produced by respondents
to define the anchor periods for ACSA were related to their current assessment of SWB. A typology was developed that combined
the starting point of the life stories with current SWB. The majority of community respondents matched the ‘Achiever’ type
who scored positively on ACSA (i.e., above the mid-point of the scale) and whose life stories started with the worst period
of their lives and proceeded to the best period. The TB patients were the only respondents to represent the ‘Survivor’ type
whose morale had recovered after misfortune in life. ‘Survivors’ started their narratives with the best period in their lives,
then moved to the worst (often health-related) one, and gave positive ACSA ratings. Based on the qualitative analysis of narratives,
it is concluded that ACSA is a sensitive measurement instrument and therefore particularly useful for monitoring the effects
of treatments and social interventions in longitudinal studies. However, further research is required to verify its cross-cultural
validity.
How widespread is the production of food in old and new member states of the European Union and what is the social meaning or logic of such activities? We show that growing food is (a) more widespread in former communist countries than in traditional market economies and (b) is predominantly a hobby or recreational activity in affluent countries, but a coping strategy in reaction to experienced difficulties in making ends meet in poorer nations, and especially so in the former communist countries. 相似文献
Based on data from the Survey on Social Conditions in the Canary Islands of the Instituto Canario de Estadística, this study analyzes poverty in Canary households by island of residence, age, employment and the educational level of the main provider. In addition to accepted objective measures, we also estimate poverty using subjective methods, in which the poverty line is defined or obtained by the opinion of household members of their own level of poverty. 相似文献
Understanding the complexity of identity in the children of immigrants has become important with the growing rates of global migration. A new theoretical construct refers to an individual’s subjective representation of the interrelationships among his or her multiple group identities and how their subjective identity could be explained.
The aim of this study was to examine the impact of their Iranian background and the social characteristics of their host society, Australia, on the second generation’s understanding of their national and ethnic identity.
This cross-sectional study is based on a quantitative method. Participants in the study were second-generation Iranians aged 18–40, living in Australia. Data were collected on how these second-generation Iranians identified themselves with Iranian society and/or with the wider society, and how their chosen identity was influenced by their background, their national beliefs, their perspectives towards the host country and the host country’s perspective towards specific ethnic groups.
Overall, 137 people participated in this study, and the results show patterns of biculturalism; the majority claimed hyphenated identity wherein the second identity was shown to be the weaker identity. The main contextual factors influencing their identity formation were birth place, acculturation and attitudes towards the host. 相似文献