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Economic Openness and Subjective Well‐being in China
Author(s) -
Xin Wen,
Smyth Russell
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
china and world economy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.815
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1749-124X
pISSN - 1671-2234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-124x.2010.01187.x
Subject(s) - openness to experience , ceteris paribus , china , economics , politics , globalization , face (sociological concept) , anomie , economic globalization , demographic economics , development economics , political science , psychology , sociology , market economy , social psychology , social science , law , microeconomics
Using a large household survey administered across 30 cities in September 2003, we examine the relationship between the degree of economic openness, measured as the sum of imports and exports as a share of GDP, and subjective well‐being in urban China. We find that respondents who live in cities with high levels of economic openness report significantly lower levels of subjective well‐being ceteris paribus. We offer four explanations for this result; namely, inadequate social protection in the face of globalization, unfulfilled expectations, political dissatisfaction and anomie.