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The Impact of Instability on Subjective Well-Being: A Cross-National Study

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Quality of Life and the Millennium Challenge

Part of the book series: Social Indicators Research Series ((SINS,volume 35))

While quality of life research has identified national wealth and economic growth to be major enhancers of subjective well-being (SWB) when comparing national differences, this study contends that instability is important in explaining why a certain population cannot feel happier and more satisfied than others. Five instabilities are evaluated: (1) inflation, (2) unemployment, (3) urban influx, (4) social protection policy, and (5) regime instability. Empirical testing by way of a cross-national design is based on 77 countries. Levels of “happiness” and “life satisfaction” as of 1999–2002, drawn from the World Values Survey compiled by Teorell et al. (2006), are used as dependent variables. The main findings are that inflation operates as a powerful obstacle to SWB, while the impact of instabilities in job markets, urban migration, social policy are marginal. Political stability serves as a co-determinant of life satisfaction but not of happiness, yet its effect is not substantial. This study concludes that among various instabilities, price perturbation most severely depresses the happiness of the human population.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, National Taipei University, 151 University Road, San Sia Taipei, 237, Taiwan

    Ming-Chang Tsai

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  1. Ming-Chang Tsai
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Correspondence to Ming-Chang Tsai .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

    Valerie Møller

  2. German Council for Social and Economic Data, Berlin, Germany

    Denis Huschka

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Tsai, MC. (2009). The Impact of Instability on Subjective Well-Being: A Cross-National Study. In: Møller, V., Huschka, D. (eds) Quality of Life and the Millennium Challenge. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 35. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8569-7_8

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