Cross-society comparisons have become increasingly important to the study of the perceived quality of life. A major critique of these studies, however, is the lack of attention to intra-culture variation. This paper examines how subjective quality of life differs, at both societal and individual levels, between Taiwan and Hong Kong, two Chinese societies that share their cultural heritage but vary in their social and political systems. We draw upon data from synchronic surveys conducted in November 2000 in Taiwan (n=1222) and Hong Kong (n=1044). Ordinal regression analyses confirm that, for both societies, reported satisfaction at the societal level contributes to the variance in individuals’ quality of life. Moreover, the perceived fairness with regard to personal effort within the opportunity structure provided by the society also significantly affects an individual’s quality of life. Different factors accounting for quality of life variation in Taiwan and in Hong Kong are discussed. This paper suggests that for the intra-cultural, cross-society comparisons on quality of life, inclusion of various societal level indicators is not only important, but the subjective perception of the fairness that society also contributes a significant effect. Copyright Springer 2005happiness, intra-culture comparisons quality of life, relative deprivation,

Using data from the TYP (Taiwan Youth Project) panel survey, we examine factors associated with early marriages in Taiwan and the subsequent risks for negative outcomes in family life and career trajectories. About 7% of Taiwanese people marry early, that is, before the age of 28 years. Among those who marry early, more than 60% report the birth of a child within the first 8 months of marriage (i.e., they form postconception “shotgun” marriages). Compared with the never married respondents, individuals in both preconception and postconception early marriages are likely to come from families of low socioeconomic status. Nonworking young adults and those experiencing parental divorce or parental death during adolescence are at higher risk of entering postconception marriages than those remaining single. Particularly for nonemployed young people and those from lower socioeconomic status background, early marriage means taking on adult responsibilities in a disadvantaged state.

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