Ethnicity, level of study, gender, religious affiliation and life satisfaction of adolescents from diverse cultures in Hong Kong

Abstract

This study investigated the life satisfaction of adolescents from diverse cultures in Hong Kong. The total sample consisted of 1644 secondary school students. Life satisfaction was measured by the validated 6-point questionnaire instrument, multidimensional students' life satisfaction scale (MSLSS). The research found that, among the five domains of life satisfaction, the Friends domain received the highest and the School domain received the lowest score from the participants. Significant statistical differences were found in the variables of level of study, gender, student groups and religious affiliation. Students from non-Chinese cultures and associated with religion are reported to have greater life satisfaction than their non-religious Chinese counterparts. There is a strong relationship between religiosity and self-appraised life satisfaction among the student groups. Gender and the level of study are also strong predictors of subjective well-being. Religious non-Chinese female students in the junior level are generally giving more positive self-appraisal report on their life satisfaction than the other groups. In contrast, non-religious senior Chinese male students reported to have the least overall life satisfaction across the domains of MSLSS.

Keywords:

• life satisfaction
• religion
• ethnicity
• adolescents
• diverse cultures

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge that this paper is an output of the project titled ‘Educational experiences, self identity and spirituality: a study on the well-being among students from diverse cultures in Hong Kong’, funded by a research grant from the Hong Kong Institute of Education.