Are Women Unhappier Than Men?
In childhood days, I remember that one of the “hot topics” we often ask is, “Would you rather be a boy or a girl?” As for myself, I’m happy to be female as I already am. Most guys I know seem to be happy that they’re guys too. The differences between male and female is not just physical, but we’re also different in the way we do and think about things.
During the earlier years of life (0~25), the lives of males and females are the generally same – until they get married and start having children. In most cases, women would need to take time off work to take care of their children, whereas men can (or need to) continue working. Depending on whether the woman is career-focused or not, needing to take time off may affect her general “life satisfaction” – as if something’s missing in her life. Even if she loves her family, she may find that 90% of her time now needs to be devoted to her children. The difference in priorities and time allocation may affect her perceived quality of life.
The article below explains more on this.
Gender: Women End Up Unhappier Than Men
(from MEDICA.de)
Less able to achieve their life goals, women end up unhappier than men later in life – even though they start out happier, new research reveals.
31/07/2008
The study used nationally representative data spanning several decades to examine the role of unfulfilled desires in a person’s sense of well-being. Thus, it covers expectations of success and demographic compositions of different generations.
In their analysis, the researchers control for birth cohort and demographic characteristics such as race and education. They find that women are, on average, happier than men in early adulthood – but the glow wears off with time. Specifically, after the age of 48, men’s overall happiness exceeds women’s happiness.
These gender patterns of overall happiness correlate to patterns in two significant aspects of life satisfaction: family and finances. In later life, it is men who come closer to fulfilling their aspirations and, thus, are happier.
Women and men have fairly similar life goals when it comes to love, the study reveals. Nine out of ten people of both genders reach adult life wanting a happy marriage. The saddest period of the average man’s life –when he is in his 20’s– is also the period when he is most likely to be single.
Young men are also more dissatisfied than young women with their financial situations, not because they are worse off, but because they want more and therefore experience a greater “shortfall,” the researchers say. But age alters many things: after 34, men are more likely to be married than women, and the gap only widens with age, mirroring men’s growing satisfaction with family life.
Men also become more satisfied with their financial situations over time, as reflected in their increased spending power. The researchers found that men tend to covet big-ticket items that might not be within reach until later in life, such as a car or vacation home.
The researchers conclude: one surely does not have to be married to be happy, but if that is what a person really wants – and, according to their study, it is for most people – then the failure to attain it can have an impact on the overall happiness. Additionally, they say, those in a relationship tend to be in a stronger financial position than those who must depend solely on their own resources.
MEDICA.de; Source: University of Southern California
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