Influence Of Social Stratification On Urban Residents’Happiness And Mechanism Of Action

Happiness has been concerned by different disciplines, for example, philosophy, economics, psychology, political science. These disciplines study happiness from different perspectives, and have accumulated a large number of research results. In this paper, from the sociological perspective, based on the theory of social stratification and sociology of emotion, we make use of CGSS data to study urban residents’happiness that are influenced by social stratification, discussing group differences and time difference on happiness effected by social stratification, analysing mechanism of social stratification affecting happiness, trying to reflect how social stratification affects happy, under the transformation.By using STATA statistical software to analyze2003and2010CGSS data, we draw the following conclusions:Firstly, overall, a higher level of happiness of urban residents, factors that influence happiness are multifaceted, including macro factors and micro factors. Social stratification variables (income, education, occupation, party membership, unit type) affect happiness of urban residents. People get higher status of social stratification, whose happiness are stronger. Secondly, the hierarchical position of significant others also affect the individual’s happiness, such as people get higher hierarchical status, whose spouse will fell more happy. Thirdly, the impact of social stratification on happiness exist gender differences, age differences. After revenue inflection point, compared to women, increased income have greater influnce on men’s happiness. Compared to men, increased income of spouse have greater influnce on women’s happiness. Compared to urban residents under40years of age, income, education, occupation and other social stratification variables have greater influnce on urban residents’happiness who are above40years old. Fourthly, from2003to2010, the level of happiness of urban residents has improved, at the same time, the impact of social stratification variables on happiness have been changing, the effect from income, party membership on happiness weakened over time, the effect from education on happiness enhanced over time. Fifthly, the subjective perception of the hierarchical position is to clarify the objective of social stratification variables and happiness of urban residents, the objective hierarchical position influence people’s happiness through subjective perception. Sixthly, happiness can be hierarchical intergenerational transfer. Controlling other variables, people get more happiness, if whose father has the higher hierarchical status.