Upward Social Mobility and Subjective Well-Being in Later Life: Exploring the Role of Security and Gender

Background and Purpose:
As China faces major demographic changes, with rapid aging and an increasing proportion of older adults, understanding factors influencing their quality of life and well-being has become important for social policymakers and social workers. Middle-aged and older adults often experience changes in their socioeconomic status, which can greatly affect their physical and psychological health. Social mobility has been identified as a key determinant of subjective well-being. However, the ways in which this relationship unfolds remain unclear. This study examines how social mobility affects subjective well-being among Chinese adults aged 45 and older and whether this relationship is altered by individuals' sense of security and gender.

Methods:
Using the Chinese General Social Survey 2021 data, this study focuses on individuals aged 45 and above (n = 3,098) to examine the impact of social mobility on subjective well-being. Social mobility was measured by comparing individuals' socioeconomic status at the time of the survey to their status a decade earlier, categorizing experiences into upward mobility, downward mobility, or no mobility. Subjective well-being was assessed through self-reported measures of overall life satisfaction and emotional well-being. Additionally, moderated mediating analysis was adopted to explore the role of the sense of security in mediating the relationship between social mobility and subjective well-being and to determine whether this mediating effect differed between men and women in the same model.

Results:
Our findings show that social mobility significantly affects subjective well-being. Specifically, individuals who experienced upward social mobility within the past decade reported levels of subjective well-being approximately 79% higher than those who experienced downward mobility. Importantly, the results also show that individuals' sense of security played a substantial mediating role, accounting for around 38.9% of the total relationship between social mobility and subjective well-being. Additionally, gender moderated this mediated pathway. The mediating effect of security was found to be significantly stronger for women, approximately 11.5% greater than for their male peers. This indicates that upward mobility not only enhances subjective well-being directly but also indirectly through improved perceptions of personal and socioeconomic security, with women benefiting more strongly from increased security.

Conclusions and Implications:
This study highlights how social mobility influences subjective well-being among middle-aged and older adults in China. The mediating role of the sense of security suggests that subjective well-being interventions and social policies should specifically target mechanisms that enhance perceived security, particularly among groups vulnerable to downward mobility. The identified gender differences underscore the necessity for future policies and interventions that address unique barriers women face in socioeconomic advancement and security. Maintaining opportunities for upward mobility can significantly improve life satisfaction and well-being for middle-aged and older adults, which promotes more equitable and inclusive aging outcomes. Overall, our findings advocate for comprehensive policy approaches integrating economic and psychosocial support systems, to enhance the overall quality of life in an aging China.