Work-life balance and happiness

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24530656
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Senshu University
• Principal Investigator: AKIYOSHI MITO 専修大学, 人間科学部, 教授 (40384672)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NAKAMURA Mayumi 富山大学, 経済学部, 准教授 (30401269)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 女性 / 幸福度 / ワークライフ・バランス / 準拠集団 / 家事分担 / 結婚 / 労働

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Japanese women are presented with multiple life choices with expanding opportunities for advanced education and labor force participation in the 21st century. The expansion of opportunities does not always translate to a higher level of happiness, however. What kind of life circumstance configurations lead to happiness? The literature finds strong positive effect of marriage. Combined effects of work and family-life configurations are yet to be clear.
Data used for this project was collected by a survey in 2014 (N=2,344). The respondents are women who are between the ages of 25 and 54 and have at least a high school diploma. Regression analysis and fuzzy set analysis were employed for analysis. It found that reference group theory explains general happiness well.

Free Research Field

社会統計　格差　技術社会学