In view of the recent
wealth of surpluses reported by the Hong Kong government and the lowest
unemployment rate reported in ten years, two researchers at Hong Kong Shue Yan
University, Mark Greene
麥哲華 and Thomas Yuen Wai Kee
袁偉基, conducted a phone survey to the
examine current levels of life satisfaction in this city. During
the first two weeks of March 2008, 2,790 Hong Kong residents completed a phone
survey with an error coefficient of 1.8%. Questions were designed to assess
self-reported happiness, basic demographic information and some indicators of
psychological wellbeing.
Overall, 79% of those
responding considered their lives to be happy, 83% indicated their family
members were happy and some 85% thought their friends were happy. The research
showed, however, a polarization of happiness across levels of household income.
30% of low-income families (defined as those with a monthly household income of
HK$7,999 or less, 21.3% of the total number of households according to the 2006
population census), made up mostly of retirees and residents who had not
completed any secondary schooling, considered their present lives to be unhappy.
By way of contrast, only 16% of those of high-income families (reporting a
monthly household income of HK$30,000 or more, 26.9% of the total number of
households according to the 2006 population census), made up mostly of professionals
with at least a secondary education, considered their lives to be unhappy.
A Vertical Model
But what exactly
contributes to happiness besides household income? To this discussion, the
researchers added a vertical dimension to see whether a definition of happiness,
an apparently easy-to-understand yet ever elusive term, could be better
understood. One pioneer in the field of Humanistic Psychology, Abraham Maslow,
suggested a hierarchical model describing the kinds of needs humans seek to
satisfy. He proposed that until a person has met his or her basic survival needs
(having enough food, water, shelter and clothing), life’s many other needs
(security, love, self-esteem, etc.) are of low concern and little consequence.
Conversely, Maslow postulated that once a certain grouping of needs has been
met, a person naturally rises to the next level. These categories can be loosely
characterized as physical, security, love/relationship, self-esteem and
self-realization.
The research revealed
that respondents from low-income families consistently fell short of their
high-income counterparts in fulfilling most of these needs. In terms of personal
security needs, 18% of the members of low-income families felt that they were
not adequately protected from violence or crime in their respective
neighbourhoods while by contrast only 11% of high-income household members felt
they had little or no protection from violence and crime. In terms of a person’s
need for love and relationships, 21% of low-income family members estimated that
there would be no one to take care of them were they to fall seriously ill and
become bedridden while only 8% of the high-income household members indicated
there would be no one to take care of them in such a situation. With regards to
self-esteem, 28% of low-income family members saw themselves in a negative
light, while only 12% of the corresponding high-income family members held
themselves in negative esteem. Finally, regarding needs for self-realization, a
stunning 58% of low-income family respondents felt they were not on track
towards realizing their full potential. In contrast, only 24% of high-income
family respondents felt they were not on track.
This picture reveals that
a ‘happy’ respondent is more likely to have high self-esteem and feel on track
to realizing his or her full potential. From this analysis, low-income family
members appear to be unhappy in part due to their inability to fulfil these
higher needs. Considering such factors as the recent decline in the stock
market, the commensurate loss of investment value and rising inflation,
low-income families may not see much happiness any time soon. Although the
government is engaged in developing commercial interests, which offer a modicum
of benefits for all, some citizens will undoubtedly be left behind thus
increasing the number people whose needs will remain unmet.
Willingness to Contribute to a Private Health Care Fund
The ‘happiness’
polarization that exists between the rich and the poor affects government policy
and management. Consider, for example, the current topic of health care reform.
This research revealed that while only 26% of low-income family members
indicated a willingness to contribute 3%-6% of their income to the government to
better the health care system, a full 53% of high-income family members were
willing to contribute the same percentage of their income to improve the health
care system. In essence, the more fulfilled the individual felt, the more likely
he or she was to indicate a willingness to contribute personal income to the
government to improve social conditions including but not limited to health
care, pollution control, eliminating the disparity between rich and poor and
providing better educational opportunities for the citizens of Hong Kong.
Summary
Although a strong
correlation exists between household income and self-reported happiness, other
needs such as those met by having loving relationships, high self-esteem and
feeling on track to realizing one’s full potential also figure highly in the
‘happiness’ equation. Furthermore, the data indicates that members of
high-income households in Hong Kong are actually satisfying self-realization
needs by virtue of their income.
To its credit, the Hong
Kong government has adopted measures to solve problems faced by the elderly such
as the Mandatory Provident Fund, subsidizing medical costs and so on. It is
hoped that these measures will enable elderly residents to save for the future.
Still, such long-term solutions are hard put to solve today’s problems. For
those who have already arrived at the age of retirement, those who were the
recipients of only a primary education and those who do not have a sizeable
savings, the government is at a loss. The results of this research suggest that
something can be done for this elderly demographic who occupy the ranks of the
“low three”: low savings, low education and low income. The government can
provide further opportunities for this group of elderly to realize their inner
potential by taking them seriously, creating cultural service programmes to meet
their needs in addition to promoting “respect the elderly” campaigns, all of
which will help elevate self-esteem and a sense of meaning and purpose in life.
Although money is extremely useful, a happy retirement may not be available for
purchase.
Contact:
Dr.
Mark Greene
麥哲華
mobile: 6231-0610 office:
2104-8264 fax: 2806-8044
Department of Counselling and Psychology
Hong Kong Shue Yan University
http://wellbeing.hksyu.edu/news
Jeffery Chan 2806-5121
Administrative Assistant
袁偉基
香港樹仁大學經濟與民生研究計劃研究統籌
聯絡電話：97296685,
28065171 (直線)
http://fs3.hksyu.edu/~wkyuen/news/happiness/
行政助理陳智豪
聯絡電話：28065121 (直線)
Data
Summary
|
Happiness and Satisfaction
|
|
|
|
How happy is your life now?
|
|
Certainly not happy
|
Not quite happy
|
Quite happy
|
Certainly happy
|
|
4%
|
16%
|
60%
|
19%
|
|
|
|
Do you feel that your family members are happy?
|
|
Certainly not happy
|
Not quite happy
|
Quite happy
|
Certainly happy
|
|
2%
|
15%
|
66%
|
17%
|
|
|
|
Do you feel that your friends are happy?
|
|
Certainly not happy
|
Not quite happy
|
Quite happy
|
Certainly happy
|
|
1%
|
14%
|
71%
|
14%
|
|
|
How happy is your life now?
|
|
Monthly
Household Income
|
Certainly not happy
|
Not quite happy
|
Quite happy
|
Certainly happy
|
|
Below 8000
|
9%
|
21%
|
50%
|
20%
|
|
8000 to14999
|
4%
|
21%
|
58%
|
17%
|
|
15000 to
29999
|
3%
|
15%
|
64%
|
18%
|
|
30000 or
above
|
4%
|
12%
|
61%
|
23%
|
|
Needs
for Security, Love/Relationship, Self-Esteem and Self-Realization
(across low and high income
households)
|
|
|
|
Monthly
Household Income
|
Are you confident that you are protected from violence
and crime in your neighbourhood?
|
|
|
Certainly not confident
|
Maybe not confident
|
Maybe confident
|
Certainly confident
|
|
Below 8000
|
4%
|
14%
|
42%
|
40%
|
|
30000 or
above
|
2%
|
9%
|
46%
|
44%
|
|
|
|
|
If you were seriously ill at home, is there a friend,
neighbor or family member you could count on to take care of you?
|
|
|
Certainly no one
|
Maybe no one
|
Maybe someone
|
Certainly someone
|
|
Below 8000
|
7%
|
14%
|
32%
|
47%
|
|
30000 or
above
|
2%
|
6%
|
27%
|
65%
|
|
|
|
|
Do you see yourself in a positive light?
|
|
|
Certainly not
|
Maybe not
|
Maybe
|
Certainly
|
|
Below 8000
|
7%
|
21%
|
39%
|
33%
|
|
30000 or
above
|
4%
|
8%
|
49%
|
40%
|
|
|
|
|
Are you on track to realizing your full inner potential?
|
|
|
Certainly not
|
Maybe not
|
Maybe
|
Certainly
|
|
Below
8000
|
27%
|
31%
|
30%
|
12%
|
|
30000 or
above
|
6%
|
18%
|
49%
|
27%
|
|
|
|
Below 8000
|
Number of Respondents
|
375 |
|
30000 or
above
|
Number of Respondents
|
742
|
|
Social Wellbeing
|
|
Assume that you do not need to pay any tax.
|
How much in terms of a percentage of your income,
would you be willing to pay to the government to improve health care
services?
|
|
Monthly Household Income
|
0% to 2%
|
3% to 4%
|
5% to 6%
|
7% to 8%
|
9% to 10%
|
More than
10%
|
|
Below 8000
|
64%
|
15%
|
11%
|
2%
|
3%
|
5%
|
|
8000 to14999
|
48%
|
25%
|
17%
|
5%
|
3%
|
2%
|
|
15000 to
29999
|
42%
|
28%
|
20%
|
4%
|
4%
|
2%
|
|
30000 or
above
|
32%
|
24%
|
29%
|
6%
|
6%
|
3%
|
|
Gender,
Marital Status, Age, Education and Income
|
Number of Respondents
|
2790
|
|
|
|
|
Sampling Error
|
1.89%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gender |
Male
|
Female
|
|
|
|
|
|
47%
|
53%
|
|
|
|
|
Marital
Status |
Never Married
|
Now Married
|
Widowed
|
Divorced
|
Separated
|
|
|
48%
|
44%
|
4%
|
3%
|
1%
|
|
Age |
18-24
|
25-34
|
35-44
|
45-54
|
55-64
|
65+
|
|
|
30%
|
17%
|
15%
|
18%
|
10%
|
11%
|
|
Education |
Primary or below
|
Secondary
|
Above Secondary but below
College
|
College or above
|
|
|
16%
|
32%
|
15%
|
36%
|
|
|
Monthly Household income |
|
|
|
|
Below $3000
|
$3000-$3999
|
$4000-$4999
|
$5000-$5999
|
$6000-$6999
|
$7000-$7999
|
|
7%
|
1%
|
1%
|
1%
|
1%
|
2%
|
|
$8000-$8999
|
$9000-$9999
|
$10000-$14999
|
$15000-$19999
|
$20000-$29999
|
$30000 or above
|
|
2%
|
3%
|
17%
|
17%
|
20%
|
27%
|
|
Monthly Personal income |
|
|
|
|
Below $3000
|
$3000-$3999
|
$4000-$4999
|
$5000-$5999
|
$6000-$6999
|
$7000-$7999
|
|
36%
|
4%
|
3%
|
2%
|
4%
|
5%
|
|
$8000-$8999
|
$9000-$9999
|
$10000-$14999
|
$15000-$19999
|
$20000-$29999
|
$30000 or
above
|
|
5%
|
7%
|
16%
|
8%
|
6%
|
6%
|
|
Job Nature |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commerce
|
Social Service
|
Clerk
|
Technical worker
|
Professional
|
Education
|
|
11%
|
4%
|
10%
|
7%
|
7%
|
4%
|
|
Service
|
Retirement
|
Housewife
|
Student
|
Unemployed
|
Others
|
|
12%
|
12%
|
8%
|
18%
|
2%
|
5%
|
|
Needs
for Security, Love/Relationship, Self-Esteem and Self-Realization
|
|
Number of Respondents 2790
|
|
Are you confident that you are protected from violence
and crime in your neighbourhood?
|
|
Certainly not confident
|
Maybe not confident
|
Maybe confident
|
Certainly confident
|
|
2%
|
11%
|
48%
|
39%
|
|
|
|
If you were seriously ill at home, is there a friend,
neighbor or family member you could count on to take care of you?
|
|
Certainly no one
|
Maybe no one
|
Maybe someone
|
Certainly someone
|
|
3%
|
9%
|
30%
|
57%
|
|
|
|
Do you see yourself in a positive light?
|
|
Certainly not
|
Maybe not
|
Maybe
|
Certainly
|
|
4%
|
13%
|
50%
|
33%
|
|
|
|
Are you on track to realizing your full inner
potential?
|
|
Certainly not
|
Maybe not
|
Maybe
|
Certainly
|
|
11%
|
25%
|
46%
|
19%
|
Top
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Wellbeing Project
Hong Kong Shue Yan University