地区性别平等化与青少年精神健康

Regional Gender Equalization and Mental Health of Adolescents in China

尽管“性别”是青少年研究中一个重要且被广泛涉及的维度,但作为宏观环境下的性别平等化如何影响中国青少年的发展却鲜有研究。本文基于“中国教育追踪调查”基线数据和第六次全国人口普查数据,探讨了地区性别平等化与青少年精神健康的关系。研究发现:地区性别平等化程度越高,青少年的精神健康状况越佳;性别平等化的健康效应在男、女两个青少年群体中同时并存,女孩并不是性别平等的唯一受益者。其原因可能是:性别平等化会通过降低男孩的社会评价威胁提升其精神健康水平,并通过缓解转型期性别观念的冲突和女性劣势地位,进而保护女孩的精神健康。因此,性别平等化对男女两性青少年的健康发展均具有重要意义。

Although gender is an import dimension in adolescence research,the effects of gender equality which represents macro-social context are neglected.Based on China Education Panel Survey Data(CEPS)and the Sixth National Census Data,this paper investigates the interactions between regional gender equalization and mental health of adolescents in China.Findings demonstrate that the higher the degree of gender equality in a region is,the better the mental health status of adolescents becomes;the regional gender equalization is a crucial factor to promote mental health of Chinese adolescents,with both boys and girls generally having access to mental health effects.That is,girls are not the only beneficiary.The possible paths are that by reducing threats from social assessment,gender equality improves boys’mental health.Meanwhile,it is also helpful in buffering girls’sense of conflict on gender ideology and disadvantages during China’s transition.This study indicates that gender equality is of great significance to the positive development of adolescents.