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Gender in Marriage and Life Satisfaction Under Gender Imbalance in China: The Role of Intergenerational Support and SES

Social Indicators Research volume 114, pages 915–933 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

This study examined gender differences in the influence of marital status and marital quality on life satisfaction. The roles of intergenerational support and perceived socioeconomic status in the relationship between marriage and life satisfaction were also explored. The analysis was conducted with data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) in 2006, representing 1,317 women and 1,152 men at least 25 years old. Chi-squared tests and logistic regression models were used in this process. Marriage, including marital status and relationship quality, has a protective function for life satisfaction. Marital status is more important for males, but marital quality is more important for females. The moderating roles of intergenerational support and perceived socioeconomic status are gender specific, perhaps due to norms that ascribe different roles to men and women in marriage.

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Acknowledgments

The data used in this study were from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) carried out in 2006, sponsored by the China Social Science Foundation. The data was originally collected by Renmin University of China and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. We appreciate the assistance in providing data by the institutes. The research findings are the product of the researcher. Neither the original collectors of the data nor the Archive bear any responsibility for the analyses or interpretations presented here. In addition, this work was supported by National Social Science Foundation of China (08&ZD048).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Population and Development Studies, School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, Shaanxi Province, China

    Huijun Liu & Shuzhuo Li

  2. Morrison Institute for Population and Resource Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Marc W. Feldman

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  1. Huijun Liu
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  2. Shuzhuo Li
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  3. Marc W. Feldman
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Correspondence to Huijun Liu.

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Liu, H., Li, S. & Feldman, M.W. Gender in Marriage and Life Satisfaction Under Gender Imbalance in China: The Role of Intergenerational Support and SES. Soc Indic Res 114, 915–933 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0180-z

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Keywords

  • Gender difference
  • Life satisfaction
  • Marital status
  • Relationship quality
  • Social support
  • Perceived socioeconomic status