This research is an extension to the Oaxaca Hope Project by B. Wydick and T.J. Lybbert. How does an individual gauge her own satisfaction with life? Previous research has noted that many domains make up overall life satisfaction, i.e. career satisfaction, family life satisfaction & social life satisfaction. A burgeoning topic in this regard is the role that aspirations play in life satisfaction. Using survey data from female microfinance borrowers in Oaxaca, Mexico this project attempts to analyze the affect previous aspirations have on life satisfaction. By creating an “aspirational window” we objectively attempt to gauge the relationship between “high” and “low” aspirations in how they interact with life satisfaction as an outcome. Using a Tobit estimation and community bank clustered standard errors we find small but significant results showing that aspirational achievement does in fact improve life satisfaction. This research project hopes to add more depth to the dynamism of aspirations literature.
","abstract_html":"<p>This research is an extension to the Oaxaca Hope Project by B. Wydick and T.J. Lybbert. How does an individual gauge her own satisfaction with life? Previous research has noted that many domains make up overall life satisfaction, i.e. career satisfaction, family life satisfaction & social life satisfaction. A burgeoning topic in this regard is the role that aspirations play in life satisfaction. Using survey data from female microfinance borrowers in Oaxaca, Mexico this project attempts to analyze the affect previous aspirations have on life satisfaction. By creating an “aspirational window” we objectively attempt to gauge the relationship between “high” and “low” aspirations in how they interact with life satisfaction as an outcome. Using a Tobit estimation and community bank clustered standard errors we find small but significant results showing that aspirational achievement does in fact improve life satisfaction. This research project hopes to add more depth to the dynamism of aspirations literature.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kemler, Joseph E"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in International and Development Economics (MSIDEC)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Economics","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Bruce Wydick"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-05-19T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-05-19T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:00Z","subjects":["Aspirations","Life Satisfaction","Microfinance","subjective well-being","education","happiness","Behavioral Economics","Growth and Development"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/227","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Bruce Wydick"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Kemler, Joseph E"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-05-29T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Economics"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in International and Development Economics (MSIDEC)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Aspirations","Life Satisfaction","Microfinance","subjective well-being","education","happiness","Behavioral Economics","Growth and Development"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/227"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This research is an extension to the Oaxaca Hope Project by B. Wydick and T.J. Lybbert. How does an individual gauge her own satisfaction with life? Previous research has noted that many domains make up overall life satisfaction, i.e. career satisfaction, family life satisfaction & social life satisfaction. A burgeoning topic in this regard is the role that aspirations play in life satisfaction. Using survey data from female microfinance borrowers in Oaxaca, Mexico this project attempts to analyze the affect previous aspirations have on life satisfaction. By creating an “aspirational window” we objectively attempt to gauge the relationship between “high” and “low” aspirations in how they interact with life satisfaction as an outcome. Using a Tobit estimation and community bank clustered standard errors we find small but significant results showing that aspirational achievement does in fact improve life satisfaction. This research project hopes to add more depth to the dynamism of aspirations literature.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Aspirations as a Component of Life Satisfaction: A Look at Female Microfinance Borrowers in Oaxaca, Mexico"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Bruce Wydick"],"dc:creator":["Kemler, Joseph E"],"dc:date.available":["2017-05-29T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This research is an extension to the Oaxaca Hope Project by B. Wydick and T.J. Lybbert. How does an individual gauge her own satisfaction with life? Previous research has noted that many domains make up overall life satisfaction, i.e. career satisfaction, family life satisfaction & social life satisfaction. A burgeoning topic in this regard is the role that aspirations play in life satisfaction. Using survey data from female microfinance borrowers in Oaxaca, Mexico this project attempts to analyze the affect previous aspirations have on life satisfaction. By creating an “aspirational window” we objectively attempt to gauge the relationship between “high” and “low” aspirations in how they interact with life satisfaction as an outcome. Using a Tobit estimation and community bank clustered standard errors we find small but significant results showing that aspirational achievement does in fact improve life satisfaction. This research project hopes to add more depth to the dynamism of aspirations literature.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/227"],"dc:subject":["Aspirations","Life Satisfaction","Microfinance","subjective well-being","education","happiness","Behavioral Economics","Growth and Development"],"dc:title":["Aspirations as a Component of Life Satisfaction: A Look at Female Microfinance Borrowers in Oaxaca, Mexico"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Economics"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in International and Development Economics (MSIDEC)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:00Z"}