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31 - Happiness across Cultures and Genders

Universals, Variations, and Remaining Questions

from Section 6 - Health and Well-Being

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 July 2020

By
Chu Kim-Prieto ,
Megan Heye  and
Kai Mangino
Edited by
Fanny M. Cheung  and
Diane F. Halpern
Fanny M. Cheung
Affiliation:
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Diane F. Halpern
Affiliation:
Claremont McKenna College, California
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Summary

This chapter provides a review of subjective well-being (SWB), with focus on the universals and cultural differences in the effects and predictors of SWB. In addition, we discuss the current contradictions in the SWB literature regarding gender differences in the mean levels of SWB. We provide an in-depth consideration of focused cultural regions and discuss the ways in which both culture and gender impact SWB.

Keywords

Life satisfactionsex differenceshappinessaffect balancecross-cultural differencesgender differencessex disparitiessubjective well-beingwell-beingpsychological well-being
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of the International Psychology of Women , pp. 451 - 458
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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Chu Kim-Prieto is a Professor of Psychology at the College of New Jersey. She was born in Korea and grew up in the USA. She earned her PhD at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Chu teaches courses in psychology of emotion and happiness, research methods, and psychology of racism. Her research focuses on the effects of everyday emotions, as well as the effects of stereotypes and micro-aggressions.

Megan Heye earned her BA in Psychology, with a specialization in Biopsychology, at the College of New Jersey. She has conducted research on cognition throughout the aging process, and the relationship between emotions and micro-aggressions in the LGBTQ community, as well as between emotions and exercise. Currently, she is applying to doctoral programs for clinical neuropsychology.

Kai Mangino was born in China, but was adopted at a young age and grew up in New Jersey. She is a psychology student at the College of New Jersey.  She is actively involved in the Bonner Community Scholars Program at the college along with her research in the psychology department. She has conducted research on the cognitive development of infants as well as studies analyzing the relationship between emotion and other factors such as exercise and LGBTQ micro-aggressions. Currently, she is completing her honors thesis on the effects of racial micro-aggressions on bystanders’ perceptions of stereotypes and modern-day racism attitudes. She will attend the University of Hartford for graduate school. She strongly identifies as an Asian American. She is also a feminist and tries to embrace a social justice mindset as she goes through life.

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Meisenberg, G., & Woodley, M. A. (2015). Gender differences in subjective well-being and their relationships with gender equality. Journal of Happiness Studies, 16, 1539–1555. doi:10.1007/s10902-014-9577-5Google Scholar

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