Using the administrative data from College Entrance Examination Center, this study investigates r... more Using the administrative data from College Entrance Examination Center, this study investigates retaking trends, demographic characteristics and field preference. Findings include: (1) There is indeed an increasing trend of exam-retaking since 2018. (2) Generally speaking, those who score higher have higher retaking rate than those who score lower do; males are more likely to become retakers than females; students from low-income families have lower retaking rate. (3) Students from urban areas or from high schools with higher mean scores have higher retaking rate; students from Southern Taiwan have a slightly higher rate of exam-retaking. (4) Comparing three college-entrance channel, first-time takers who got admitted through the last channel
外省與本省族群間在平均教育成就上有相當顯著的差異。既有文獻，一方面對於外省族群身分之於教育取得是否有其獨立影響並沒有一致的答案，另一方面，大多假設族群效應為一定值，較少考慮到此影響力在不同群體身... more 外省與本省族群間在平均教育成就上有相當顯著的差異。既有文獻，一方面對於外省族群身分之於教育取得是否有其獨立影響並沒有一致的答案，另一方面，大多假設族群效應為一定值，較少考慮到此影響力在不同群體身上是否有所差異。本文合併台灣社會變遷基本調查多期資料來探究族群身分對於上大學機會是否有獨立影響力，分析其長期趨勢，並檢測省籍、性別、父親教育程度之間的交互作用。本文的主要發現有二：首先，對出生於1940、1950 年代的年長世代來說，外省族群中上大學機會的兩性差距要比本省族群來得小。再者，在控制父母親教育程度、城鄉差距、父親職業地位之後，省籍效應同時依父親教育程度不同而有所變化；對高教育家庭背景的子女來說，並沒有統計證據顯示，省籍對於任何出生世代之上大學機會有影響；但在低教育家庭背景的子女中，則存在相當顯著的省籍效應—外省族群身份對一個人上大學的機會確有影響，對出生於1940、1950 年代的年長世代來說尤為顯著，在進一步控制公部門效應與手足數之後仍有影響；不過，此效應已隨時間推移而減弱，甚或消失。整體來說，族群身份對於教育成就的影響，與其所鑲嵌之社會脈絡息息相關，不僅依時代變遷，也因性別及階級之不同而有所差異。
外省與本省族群間在平均教育成就上有相當顯著的差異。既有文 獻，一方面對於外省族群身分之於教育取得是否有其獨立影響並沒有一致的答案，另一方面，大多假設族群效應為一定值，較少考慮到此影響力在不同群體... more 外省與本省族群間在平均教育成就上有相當顯著的差異。既有文 獻，一方面對於外省族群身分之於教育取得是否有其獨立影響並沒有一致的答案，另一方面，大多假設族群效應為一定值，較少考慮到此影響力在不同群體身上是否有所差異。本文合併台灣社會變遷基本調查多期資料來探究族群身分對於上大學機會是否有獨立影響力，分析其長期趨勢，並檢測省籍、性別、父親教育程度之間的交互作用。本文的主要發現有二：首先，對出生於1940、1950 年代的年長世代來說，外省族群中上大學機會的兩性差距要比本省族群來得小。再者，在控制父母親教育程度、城鄉差距、父親職業地位之後，省籍效應同時依父親教育程度不同而有所變化;對高教育家庭背景的子女來說，並沒有統計證據顯示，省籍對於任何出生世代之上大學機會有影響;但在低教育家庭背景的子女中，則存在相當顯著的省籍效應—外省族群身份對一個人上大學的機會確有影響，對出生於1940、1950 年代的年長世代來說尤為顯著，在進一步控制公部門效應與手足數之後仍有影響;不過，此效應已隨時間推移而減弱，甚或消失。整體來說，族群身份對於教育成就的影響，與其所鑲嵌之社會脈絡息息相關，不僅依時代變遷，也因性別及階級之不同而有所差異。There has been a significant gap in educational attainment between mainlanders & other ethnic groups in Taiwan, especially in the early postwar years. Existing studies did not provide consistent answers about whether ethnicity has an effect on educational attainment, net of parents' education & socioeconomic background. Focusing on the probability of obtaining a bachelor degree, this study found that the mainlander effect varies not only with birth cohort but also with gender & ...
Using data from the Taiwan Education Panel Survey, this study explored the role of co-resident gr... more Using data from the Taiwan Education Panel Survey, this study explored the role of co-resident grandparents in Taiwan's single-parent families. Single fathers were more likely to settle in multigenerational living arrangements than single mothers. Grandparent co-residence was positively associated with adolescents’ cognitive scores, but the benefit was even larger for youths from single-father families. Grandparent co-residence was correlated with greater parental investment, although in different ways for different types of single families. Single fathers interacted more with the child and had higher educational expectations if living with a grandparent. Single mothers in three-generation families spent more tutorial expense than other single mothers. These results suggest that the grandparent role may be supplementary to weak family functioning.
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Sociology, August 2005. Includes bibliographical... more Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Sociology, August 2005. Includes bibliographical references.
Labor force exit is often regarded as a negative sign for future career development. Although it ... more Labor force exit is often regarded as a negative sign for future career development. Although it is widely known that married women in East Asia are more likely to leave the labor force (temporarily or permanently) for family reasons, it is unclear how this tendency changes over time or whether family effects remain persistently strong. Taking advantage of the short-panel datasets of Manpower Utilization Quasi-Longitudinal Data (MUQLD) in Taiwan, this study explores how individual and household factors affect married women’s labor force exit and whether these effects change over time. Our analysis of couple data yields several conclusions. First, women’s earning capability becomes increasingly important for work decisions: the more a woman earns, the less likely she is to quit her job. This effect has grown significantly in the past two decades. Second, the husband’s earning has no effect on the wife’s work decisions. Third, childbirth increases the likelihood that the woman will exit the labor force. The effect of childbirth remained stable and strong from the 1990s until recent years, when the effect grew significantly more pronounced. Our findings are seemingly contradictory in the sense that women are growing both more independent from and more dependent on family. We surmise that changes in parenting culture might be the driving force behind this recent trend.
This chapter is an introduction to the edited book of Family, Work and Wellbeing in Asia. It begi... more This chapter is an introduction to the edited book of Family, Work and Wellbeing in Asia. It begins with a brief review of current research on family-work issues in this region, specifically focusing on four domains: the experiences of work and family lives; work organizations’ response to employees’ work-family concerns; the impact of the above two domains on family life, relationships and wellbeing ; and public policy concerning work-family life . Then, each chapter is summarized before it concludes with suggestions for future researchers.
Regarding educational differentials in divorce, similar trends have been reported across countrie... more Regarding educational differentials in divorce, similar trends have been reported across countries. Some report increasing educational differentials, while others identify an educational crossover pattern. The commonality is that education seems to play a role of stabilizing marriage more than ever before. Using data from the Women's Marriage, Fertility, and Employment Survey, this study investigates the case of Taiwan by portraying the changing pattern of women's educational differentials in divorce. There are three major findings. First, among previous marriage cohorts, women with relatively higher levels of formal education are significantly more likely to divorce. Second, the marital-dissolution rates for less educated women are rising faster than the corresponding rates for women with more education. Third, this trend does not stop at the catch-up point and eventually leads to a reversal in the association between education and divorce from positive to negative. In short, such educational differentials in divorce vary dramatically across marriage cohorts. A pattern of educational crossover in divorce has been displayed during the rapid social change in Taiwan. Other than William Goode's argument raised a half-century ago, the marriage model transformation from specialization toward symmetry in the context of gender egalitarianization has to be taken into consideration in order to obtain a full understanding of the phenomenon.
Educational philosophers contend that education enhances autonomy and thus happiness, but empiric... more Educational philosophers contend that education enhances autonomy and thus happiness, but empirical studies rarely explore the positive influence of education on happiness. Based on the previous finding that being better connected to the outside world makes people happy, this study examines the possibility that how well an individual connects to the world accounts for the positive association between education and happiness. Analyzing survey data from four East Asian countries, we find a common pattern among Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. Although both monetary and non-monetary factors play a role in explaining the relationship between education and higher reports of happiness, monetary factor is relatively unimportant whereas non-monetary factors, such as interpersonal network and degree of cosmopolitanism, account for a significant part of the association between education and happiness. China is exceptional due to its relative importance of personal income in accounting for happiness. In short, individuals who receive more education have more extensive social networks as well as greater involvement with the wider world; these life conditions are positively related with happiness. By enhancing one's ability and propensity to connect with the wider social world, education may improve an individual's subjective well-being.
Deep integration of Asia into the global society necessarily affects wellbeing of local populatio... more Deep integration of Asia into the global society necessarily affects wellbeing of local populations. This study proposes a notion of ''extend capacities'' to explain the relationships between individual globalization and subjective wellbeing among Asian populations in a context of increasing global integration. Using Amartya Sen's theory of human capacities as a point of departure, we advance a distinctive list of expanded capacities, which includes English ability, global exposure and foreign contacts via jobs. Empirical findings from our multilevel analysis of a large sample from 14 Asian countries show the consistent impact of mastering a global lingua franca on job satisfaction, perceived life accomplishment, and happiness. Global exposure also generates some favorable influences.
ABSTRACT Using national data of the male population (a total of 715,000 observations) in Taiwan, ... more ABSTRACT Using national data of the male population (a total of 715,000 observations) in Taiwan, this study finds a significant association between LBW and the probability of committing crime appears exclusively among those born to mothers under 18 or over 40 at the time of childbearing. Moreover, this association occurs particularly in violent crime. The interaction between biological and demographic factors suggests that being born to very old or young mothers and LBW together may create a double hazard of biological disadvantage, leading to higher risk of committing violent crime later. The other side of the coin is that, regarding to violent crime, being born low birth weight may not be a disadvantage unless it is triggered by certain adversity.
Using the administrative data from College Entrance Examination Center, this study investigates r... more Using the administrative data from College Entrance Examination Center, this study investigates retaking trends, demographic characteristics and field preference. Findings include: (1) There is indeed an increasing trend of exam-retaking since 2018. (2) Generally speaking, those who score higher have higher retaking rate than those who score lower do; males are more likely to become retakers than females; students from low-income families have lower retaking rate. (3) Students from urban areas or from high schools with higher mean scores have higher retaking rate; students from Southern Taiwan have a slightly higher rate of exam-retaking. (4) Comparing three college-entrance channel, first-time takers who got admitted through the last channel
外省與本省族群間在平均教育成就上有相當顯著的差異。既有文獻，一方面對於外省族群身分之於教育取得是否有其獨立影響並沒有一致的答案，另一方面，大多假設族群效應為一定值，較少考慮到此影響力在不同群體身... more 外省與本省族群間在平均教育成就上有相當顯著的差異。既有文獻，一方面對於外省族群身分之於教育取得是否有其獨立影響並沒有一致的答案，另一方面，大多假設族群效應為一定值，較少考慮到此影響力在不同群體身上是否有所差異。本文合併台灣社會變遷基本調查多期資料來探究族群身分對於上大學機會是否有獨立影響力，分析其長期趨勢，並檢測省籍、性別、父親教育程度之間的交互作用。本文的主要發現有二：首先，對出生於1940、1950 年代的年長世代來說，外省族群中上大學機會的兩性差距要比本省族群來得小。再者，在控制父母親教育程度、城鄉差距、父親職業地位之後，省籍效應同時依父親教育程度不同而有所變化；對高教育家庭背景的子女來說，並沒有統計證據顯示，省籍對於任何出生世代之上大學機會有影響；但在低教育家庭背景的子女中，則存在相當顯著的省籍效應—外省族群身份對一個人上大學的機會確有影響，對出生於1940、1950 年代的年長世代來說尤為顯著，在進一步控制公部門效應與手足數之後仍有影響；不過，此效應已隨時間推移而減弱，甚或消失。整體來說，族群身份對於教育成就的影響，與其所鑲嵌之社會脈絡息息相關，不僅依時代變遷，也因性別及階級之不同而有所差異。
外省與本省族群間在平均教育成就上有相當顯著的差異。既有文 獻，一方面對於外省族群身分之於教育取得是否有其獨立影響並沒有一致的答案，另一方面，大多假設族群效應為一定值，較少考慮到此影響力在不同群體... more 外省與本省族群間在平均教育成就上有相當顯著的差異。既有文 獻，一方面對於外省族群身分之於教育取得是否有其獨立影響並沒有一致的答案，另一方面，大多假設族群效應為一定值，較少考慮到此影響力在不同群體身上是否有所差異。本文合併台灣社會變遷基本調查多期資料來探究族群身分對於上大學機會是否有獨立影響力，分析其長期趨勢，並檢測省籍、性別、父親教育程度之間的交互作用。本文的主要發現有二：首先，對出生於1940、1950 年代的年長世代來說，外省族群中上大學機會的兩性差距要比本省族群來得小。再者，在控制父母親教育程度、城鄉差距、父親職業地位之後，省籍效應同時依父親教育程度不同而有所變化;對高教育家庭背景的子女來說，並沒有統計證據顯示，省籍對於任何出生世代之上大學機會有影響;但在低教育家庭背景的子女中，則存在相當顯著的省籍效應—外省族群身份對一個人上大學的機會確有影響，對出生於1940、1950 年代的年長世代來說尤為顯著，在進一步控制公部門效應與手足數之後仍有影響;不過，此效應已隨時間推移而減弱，甚或消失。整體來說，族群身份對於教育成就的影響，與其所鑲嵌之社會脈絡息息相關，不僅依時代變遷，也因性別及階級之不同而有所差異。There has been a significant gap in educational attainment between mainlanders & other ethnic groups in Taiwan, especially in the early postwar years. Existing studies did not provide consistent answers about whether ethnicity has an effect on educational attainment, net of parents' education & socioeconomic background. Focusing on the probability of obtaining a bachelor degree, this study found that the mainlander effect varies not only with birth cohort but also with gender & ...
Using data from the Taiwan Education Panel Survey, this study explored the role of co-resident gr... more Using data from the Taiwan Education Panel Survey, this study explored the role of co-resident grandparents in Taiwan's single-parent families. Single fathers were more likely to settle in multigenerational living arrangements than single mothers. Grandparent co-residence was positively associated with adolescents’ cognitive scores, but the benefit was even larger for youths from single-father families. Grandparent co-residence was correlated with greater parental investment, although in different ways for different types of single families. Single fathers interacted more with the child and had higher educational expectations if living with a grandparent. Single mothers in three-generation families spent more tutorial expense than other single mothers. These results suggest that the grandparent role may be supplementary to weak family functioning.
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Sociology, August 2005. Includes bibliographical... more Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Sociology, August 2005. Includes bibliographical references.
Labor force exit is often regarded as a negative sign for future career development. Although it ... more Labor force exit is often regarded as a negative sign for future career development. Although it is widely known that married women in East Asia are more likely to leave the labor force (temporarily or permanently) for family reasons, it is unclear how this tendency changes over time or whether family effects remain persistently strong. Taking advantage of the short-panel datasets of Manpower Utilization Quasi-Longitudinal Data (MUQLD) in Taiwan, this study explores how individual and household factors affect married women’s labor force exit and whether these effects change over time. Our analysis of couple data yields several conclusions. First, women’s earning capability becomes increasingly important for work decisions: the more a woman earns, the less likely she is to quit her job. This effect has grown significantly in the past two decades. Second, the husband’s earning has no effect on the wife’s work decisions. Third, childbirth increases the likelihood that the woman will exit the labor force. The effect of childbirth remained stable and strong from the 1990s until recent years, when the effect grew significantly more pronounced. Our findings are seemingly contradictory in the sense that women are growing both more independent from and more dependent on family. We surmise that changes in parenting culture might be the driving force behind this recent trend.
This chapter is an introduction to the edited book of Family, Work and Wellbeing in Asia. It begi... more This chapter is an introduction to the edited book of Family, Work and Wellbeing in Asia. It begins with a brief review of current research on family-work issues in this region, specifically focusing on four domains: the experiences of work and family lives; work organizations’ response to employees’ work-family concerns; the impact of the above two domains on family life, relationships and wellbeing ; and public policy concerning work-family life . Then, each chapter is summarized before it concludes with suggestions for future researchers.
Regarding educational differentials in divorce, similar trends have been reported across countrie... more Regarding educational differentials in divorce, similar trends have been reported across countries. Some report increasing educational differentials, while others identify an educational crossover pattern. The commonality is that education seems to play a role of stabilizing marriage more than ever before. Using data from the Women's Marriage, Fertility, and Employment Survey, this study investigates the case of Taiwan by portraying the changing pattern of women's educational differentials in divorce. There are three major findings. First, among previous marriage cohorts, women with relatively higher levels of formal education are significantly more likely to divorce. Second, the marital-dissolution rates for less educated women are rising faster than the corresponding rates for women with more education. Third, this trend does not stop at the catch-up point and eventually leads to a reversal in the association between education and divorce from positive to negative. In short, such educational differentials in divorce vary dramatically across marriage cohorts. A pattern of educational crossover in divorce has been displayed during the rapid social change in Taiwan. Other than William Goode's argument raised a half-century ago, the marriage model transformation from specialization toward symmetry in the context of gender egalitarianization has to be taken into consideration in order to obtain a full understanding of the phenomenon.
Educational philosophers contend that education enhances autonomy and thus happiness, but empiric... more Educational philosophers contend that education enhances autonomy and thus happiness, but empirical studies rarely explore the positive influence of education on happiness. Based on the previous finding that being better connected to the outside world makes people happy, this study examines the possibility that how well an individual connects to the world accounts for the positive association between education and happiness. Analyzing survey data from four East Asian countries, we find a common pattern among Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. Although both monetary and non-monetary factors play a role in explaining the relationship between education and higher reports of happiness, monetary factor is relatively unimportant whereas non-monetary factors, such as interpersonal network and degree of cosmopolitanism, account for a significant part of the association between education and happiness. China is exceptional due to its relative importance of personal income in accounting for happiness. In short, individuals who receive more education have more extensive social networks as well as greater involvement with the wider world; these life conditions are positively related with happiness. By enhancing one's ability and propensity to connect with the wider social world, education may improve an individual's subjective well-being.
Deep integration of Asia into the global society necessarily affects wellbeing of local populatio... more Deep integration of Asia into the global society necessarily affects wellbeing of local populations. This study proposes a notion of ''extend capacities'' to explain the relationships between individual globalization and subjective wellbeing among Asian populations in a context of increasing global integration. Using Amartya Sen's theory of human capacities as a point of departure, we advance a distinctive list of expanded capacities, which includes English ability, global exposure and foreign contacts via jobs. Empirical findings from our multilevel analysis of a large sample from 14 Asian countries show the consistent impact of mastering a global lingua franca on job satisfaction, perceived life accomplishment, and happiness. Global exposure also generates some favorable influences.
ABSTRACT Using national data of the male population (a total of 715,000 observations) in Taiwan, ... more ABSTRACT Using national data of the male population (a total of 715,000 observations) in Taiwan, this study finds a significant association between LBW and the probability of committing crime appears exclusively among those born to mothers under 18 or over 40 at the time of childbearing. Moreover, this association occurs particularly in violent crime. The interaction between biological and demographic factors suggests that being born to very old or young mothers and LBW together may create a double hazard of biological disadvantage, leading to higher risk of committing violent crime later. The other side of the coin is that, regarding to violent crime, being born low birth weight may not be a disadvantage unless it is triggered by certain adversity.
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Papers by Wan-chi Chen
議題被反覆檢視。多數輿論認為第二階段篩選不利於資源貧弱學生。然而既有研究受限於資料型態，僅能觀察「已被錄取並就
讀大學者」。本研究運用2014至2020年度之大考中心及招聯會串接資料（亦即108課綱實施之前的應屆考生）進行加值應用分析，並利用此類型資料之優勢，將「個人申請入學」的兩個篩選階段區分開來─第一階段（學測分數）與第二階段（書審、面試），以突破既有限制。以下為精簡研究結論：（1）對所有觀察年份來說，中低／低收入戶學生之一階通過率，均低於一般家戶學生。但到了二階，此差異變小，且常出現「經濟弱勢學生之通過率高於一般學生」。（2）控制年份與學校之後，經濟弱勢生一階通過的「勝算」（odds）比一般學生少了18%。這些學生之所以於一階篩選不利，較低的學測分數為主要解釋因素。（3）控制年份與學校後，經濟弱勢生之二階通過率並沒有比一般學生低。進一步考慮學測，在相同級分的條件下，經濟弱勢生於二階獲得正取之勝算要比一般收入戶考生高出了15-16%。本研究顯示：看似六親不認的考試，事實上是造成優勢與弱勢家庭學生之間入學機會嚴重落差的篩選工具；大眾擔憂不夠客觀的二階書審及面試，反而可能成為家庭資源匱乏的學生之翻身管道。
議題被反覆檢視。多數輿論認為第二階段篩選不利於資源貧弱學生。然而既有研究受限於資料型態，僅能觀察「已被錄取並就
讀大學者」。本研究運用2014至2020年度之大考中心及招聯會串接資料（亦即108課綱實施之前的應屆考生）進行加值應用分析，並利用此類型資料之優勢，將「個人申請入學」的兩個篩選階段區分開來─第一階段（學測分數）與第二階段（書審、面試），以突破既有限制。以下為精簡研究結論：（1）對所有觀察年份來說，中低／低收入戶學生之一階通過率，均低於一般家戶學生。但到了二階，此差異變小，且常出現「經濟弱勢學生之通過率高於一般學生」。（2）控制年份與學校之後，經濟弱勢生一階通過的「勝算」（odds）比一般學生少了18%。這些學生之所以於一階篩選不利，較低的學測分數為主要解釋因素。（3）控制年份與學校後，經濟弱勢生之二階通過率並沒有比一般學生低。進一步考慮學測，在相同級分的條件下，經濟弱勢生於二階獲得正取之勝算要比一般收入戶考生高出了15-16%。本研究顯示：看似六親不認的考試，事實上是造成優勢與弱勢家庭學生之間入學機會嚴重落差的篩選工具；大眾擔憂不夠客觀的二階書審及面試，反而可能成為家庭資源匱乏的學生之翻身管道。