TY - JOUR

T1 - The China puzzle

T2 - falling happiness in a rising economy

AU - Brockmann, Hilke

AU - Delhey, Jan

AU - Welzel, Christian Peter

AU - Yuan, Hao

PY - 2009/8

Y1 - 2009/8

N2 - Over the 1990-2000 decade happiness in China plummeted despite massive improvement in material living standards. This finding contradicts the notion that income growth at low living standards leads to gains, not losses, in happiness. We explain this puzzle by drawing on a specific version of relative deprivation theory, the concept of "frustrated achievers." Our major finding is that income inequality in China became increasingly skewed towards the upper income strata, so that related to the average income the financial position of most Chinese worsened. Consequently, financial dissatisfaction rose and became an increasingly important factor in depressing happiness. Other negative feelings emerging with rapid transitions, such as anomie and disaffection, show a less depressive effect on Chinese happiness. We conclude with some speculations about the applicability of our findings to transition economies in general.

AB - Over the 1990-2000 decade happiness in China plummeted despite massive improvement in material living standards. This finding contradicts the notion that income growth at low living standards leads to gains, not losses, in happiness. We explain this puzzle by drawing on a specific version of relative deprivation theory, the concept of "frustrated achievers." Our major finding is that income inequality in China became increasingly skewed towards the upper income strata, so that related to the average income the financial position of most Chinese worsened. Consequently, financial dissatisfaction rose and became an increasingly important factor in depressing happiness. Other negative feelings emerging with rapid transitions, such as anomie and disaffection, show a less depressive effect on Chinese happiness. We conclude with some speculations about the applicability of our findings to transition economies in general.

KW - Politics

KW - Gender and Diversity

KW - Happiness

KW - Income

KW - Inequality

KW - Life satisfaction

KW - Market economy

KW - Relative deprivation

KW - Transition economies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70849103860&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s10902-008-9095-4

DO - 10.1007/s10902-008-9095-4

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 10

SP - 387

EP - 405

JO - Journal of Happiness Studies

JF - Journal of Happiness Studies

SN - 1389-4978

IS - 4

ER -