Socio-economic stratification of life satisfaction in Ireland during an economic recession: A repeated cross-sectional study using the European Social Survey

Abstract

Life satisfaction is an understudied topic in literature on socio-economic stratification. Using the European Social Survey data, this study concentrates on the recent economic recession in Ireland, and the socio-economic stratification of life satisfaction before and during economic crisis. We measure stratification multidimensionally using education, occupational social class and income. The results show that the effects of the crisis, which peaked in 2010 in terms of both GDP and life satisfaction, are not experienced equally within the population. Lower strata (lowest income quartile, manual workers and those with basic education at most) are more affected. In the pre-crisis period, life satisfaction appeared to be stratified mostly by income, which was due to the experience of economic hardship. However, during the crisis stratification of life satisfaction took a more complex and deeper form and also basic education and manual labour then began to explain lower life satisfaction.