Against All Odds or by Dint of Privilege? Happiness and Life Satisfaction Returns to College in America
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2423740 |
|---|---|
| Authors | M A Andersson (0000-0003-1832-0742, Baylor University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Publication date | 2018-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Socius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2378-0231 • E-ISSN: 2378-0231 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/2378023118773158 |
| OpenAlex | W2802553173 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 61 |
Health gains linked to a college degree appear to be contingent on childhood socioeconomic background, with disadvantaged individuals typically showing the greatest gains in physical health. However, contingent gains in subjective well-being remain unexplored. This study examines happiness and life satisfaction gains linked to college degree attainment, using representative U.S. data spanning recent decades (from the General Social Survey 1972-2014). For women, happiness and life satisfaction gains linked to college are highest for those who were least likely to attend and graduate based on their family economic circumstances. In contrast, men show the highest life satisfaction gains from college when coming from privileged family backgrounds. These findings fall in line with gender and institutional perspectives on education and life chances. For both sexes, college disparities in life satisfaction show substantial variation across cohorts and the life course
Demographic economics · Disadvantaged · Economic growth · Economics · Educational attainment · Family life · General Social Survey · Happiness · Life satisfaction · Political science · Privilege (computing · Socioeconomic status · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Subjective well-being · Survey data collection · Demography · Employment and Welfare Studies · Health disparities and outcomes · Medicine · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social Psychology · Gerontology
Education, Social Status, and Health
Trends in the Educational Gradient of U.S. Adult Mortality From 1986 Through 2006 by Race, Gender, and Age Group
Age Structuring and the Rhythm of the Life Course
Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Health The Added Effects of Racism and Discrimination
Happy People Live Longer
Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress
Age-Period-Cohort Analysis
The Emergence and Development of Life Course Theory
Understanding differences in health behaviors by education
Variation in the Protective Effect of Higher Education against Depression
Income Inequality in the United States, 1913-1998
Job Authority and Breast Cancer
Early-Life Socioeconomic Status and Physical Activity in Later Life
Why Is the Educational Gradient of Mortality Steeper for Men
Are Educational Differences in U.S. Self-Rated Health Increasing
Early-Life Origins of Adult Disease
Trends in educational assortative marriage from 1940 to 2003
Cohort and life-course patterns in the relationship between education and health
Gender-specific trends in the value of education and the emerging gender gap in college completion
Education and the Gender Gaps in Health and Mortality
Childhood (Mis)fortune, Educational Attainment, and Adult Health
Promoting and protecting mental health as flourishing
Environmental Contingencies and Genetic Propensities
Educational Differences in U.S. Adult Mortality
The Life Course as Developmental Theory
What (and Why) is Positive Psychology
Time, Human Agency, and Social Change
The Educational and Early Occupational Attainment Process
Trends in education gradients of 'preventable' mortality
Who Benefits Most from College
Educational attainment and adult health
The interaction of family background and personal education on depressive symptoms in later life
Conditional health-related benefits of higher education
Sex differences in the effect of education on depression
The interaction of personal and parental education on health
Why are educated adults slim-Causation or selection
Reinforcing Separate Spheres
Coached for the Classroom
The Growing Female Advantage in College Completion
Is There a Downside to Shooting for the Stars? Unrealized Educational Expectations and Symptoms of Depression
Social Inequalities in Happiness in the United States, 1972 to 2004
The Mark of a Woman's Record
Why Status Matters for Inequality
The Homecoming of American College Women
The Rising Significance of Education for Health
Social Conditions As Fundamental Causes of Disease
Providing a ''Leg Up
Following Their Every Move
Why Do College Graduates Behave More Healthfully Than Those Who Are Less Educated
Did Socioeconomic Inequalities in Morbidity and Mortality Change in the United States over the Course of the Twentieth Century
How Does Functional Disability Affect Depressive Symptoms in Late Life? The Role of Perceived Social Support and Psychological Resources
Fundamental Causes' of Social Inequalities in Mortality
The Social Psychology of Health Disparities
Social and Economic Returns to College Education in the United States
Sex Segregation in the Workplace
Understanding the links between education and smoking
Education inequality in mortality
Does bad pay cause occupations to feminize, Does feminization reduce pay, and How can we tell with longitudinal data
| Citations per year | 0.83 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2020 - 2022 (3) |
| Highly cited | No |