March 30, 2010

• Sad times; Women aren't as happy as they used to be: study

  It's enough to give even the most unflappable wife, mother and career woman a bad case of the blues.

  Last fall, University of Pennsylvania researchers Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers caused a stir when they published a paper in the American Economic Journal bearing the ominous title, The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness.

  The pair found that women of all racial, economic and age groups are less satisfied with their lives than they were 30 years ago, while men report feeling more contented.

  And that's puzzling, she says, because North American women are better educated and have made inroads into professions that previously were all-male. The wage gap has decreased, women live longer, and men have even started doing some housework.

  "There are a lot of potential explanations for the decline in female happiness," Stevenson says. "Our expectations have risen, and society hasn't been able to fully deliver. For example, if we expect sexism to be gone, behaviour that's half as sexist today as it was in the past can be twice as upsetting.

  "Women also are trying to succeed in more domains than we once did. One of my MBA students said that being successful for her mother meant having a good marriage, happy kids and a well-kept home.

  "My student wants all those things, but she also wants a career and to make a contribution to the community.

  "If she falls short in any one area, it will affect how happy she considers herself to be."

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