Economic Development and Subjective Well-being: A Comparative Study of Adolescents in Hong Kong and Macau

Mathew Y. H. Wong () and Wing Hong Chui ()
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Mathew Y. H. Wong: University of Hong Kong
Wing Hong Chui: City University of Hong Kong

Child Indicators Research, 2017, vol. 10, issue 1, No 14, 247-265

Abstract: Abstract With a comparative study on adolescents in Hong Kong (N = 1,830) and Macau (N = 2,761), this article examines how differences in the wider economic contexts would affect the development of subjective well-being in adolescents. In particular, despite having similar levels of economic development, Hong Kong resembles a mature economy while Macau is still enjoying healthy growth due to the difference in the timing of economic booms experienced by the two Chinese cities. Therefore, it is suggested that adolescents in Hong Kong grow up under a constant pressure to be competitive within an increasingly limited economy, while their counterparts in Macau could expect to have a more comfortable time in the future. This crucial difference is hypothesized to be responsible for the observation that older adolescents in Macau are associated with higher hope and purpose in life, while the same cannot be said for those in Hong Kong. Subsequent analysis of the factors underlying the measure of hope further reinforces our arguments. This study carries strong implications for understanding how child well-being is affected by the wider economic conditions.

Keywords: Child well-being; Adolescents; Economic development; Hope; Purpose in life; Hong Kong; Macau; Chinese (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1007/s12187-016-9381-3

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