PhD Candidate: Chunting Lyu

Dissertation Title: “Family, Marriage and Well-being in China”

Abstract: This dissertation comprises three chapters, all of which are connected by a common theme: exploring how evolving family structures, legal frameworks, and intergenerational dynamics impact individual well-being throughout the life course.

The first chapter examines the relationship between the increase in the legal marriageable age, adopted in January 1981, and female empowerment and well-being indicators in China. Using data from the 2010 wave of China Family Panel Studies data, the results show that the adoption of the law led to an increase in age at first marriage for the cohorts of women affected by the law. In addition, it is further found that women in these cohorts report higher well-being indicators: confidence in the future, life satisfaction, happiness, and self-evaluated social status.

The second chapter uses five waves of data from the China Family Panel Studies and applies the model of Zimmerman and Easterlin (2006) to study the effects of premarital cohabitation and marriage on subjective well-being in China. In addition to life satisfaction, happiness is included as an indicator of subjective well-being. The results show that marriage has a "honeymoon" effect, that is, life satisfaction is significantly improved in the early stages of marriage (within two years after marriage), and life satisfaction returns to the premarital level two years after marriage. Marriage has a positive impact on happiness, but this effect gradually weakens over time.

The third chapter uses data from the nationally representative China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) to explore whether financial support from adult children can reduce depression levels among the elderly (measured by the CESD-10 scale). The study found that economic transfers do significantly reduce depression in the elderly, especially those living in rural areas. In addition, the study highlights a key distinction between types of support: in-kind transfers—such as food, goods, or services—appear to be more effective than direct monetary support in improving mental health outcomes. These results show the importance of both the form and context of intergenerational assistance, emphasizing that material support plays a crucial role in enhancing psychological well-being in later life.

Together, these studies illustrate how the changing landscape of family and marriage in China intricately affects individual well-being at different stages of life and across generations.

Committee:

Olga Shemyakina (Chair), Associate Professor, School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Haizheng Li, Professor, School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Shatakshee Dhongde, Professor, School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Robert Gonzalez, Associate Professor, School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Urvashi Jain, Assistant Professor, Mitchell College of Business, University of South Alabama

Date: July 15, 2025 

Time: 9:30 am - 11:30 am EST

Location: Old Civil Engineering Building Room 204 

Team Meeting Link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NzQ3NDIwNzMtMWYxNi00MmZjLWFlN2UtNWY3NDA3YWJjYTgx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22482198bb-ae7b-4b25-8b7a-6d7f32faa083%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cfb4ed9b-a43b-462e-93d4-7b7bc7328688%22%7d