Family Life and the Pursuit of Happiness

Abstract

The General Social Surveys for the years 1972 to 1993 provide the data for examining the reported happiness of U.S. adults according to race and gender. The study looks at the comparative happiness of Blacks and Whites and, within each race, the factors contributing to the happiness of women and men. There have been few previous studies of the happiness of Blacks, and those on the well-being of Whites have resulted in the anomalous finding, given the gender stratification hierarchy, that women generally report being happier than men. As predicted, the findings showed Whites to be generally happier than Blacks, and White women to be somewhat happier than White men. Also as predicted, family and other inter-personal ties were more important for White women's happiness than for White men's happiness. Marital satisfaction also contributed more to the satisfaction of married Black women than married Black men.