‘Like a fish in the water’ : personal culture-structure fit and subjective well-being

This presentation introduces the concept of structural fit—the alignment between individuals’ personal cultural orientations and the broader societal context—and examines its implications for subjective well-being (SWB) across two domains: gender norms and perceptions of democracy. Drawing on data from the joint EVS/WVS 2017–2022 across more than 85 countries, we explore how SWB is influenced by the fit between (1) personal gender norms and public gender norms, (2) personal gender norms and societal gender equality, (3) personal perceptions of democracy and collective societal representations, and (4) personal perceptions and expert evaluations of democratic quality. Across both studies, findings consistently show that cultural congruence between the individual and society is associated with higher SWB, particularly when individuals hold progressive gender views or positive perceptions of democracy in societies that share or support these views. Importantly, this cultural fit effect is stronger than the objective fit with institutional indicators like gender equality or expert democracy scores. However, we also find asymmetries: while alignment with positive collective perceptions enhances well-being, alignment with negative public views does not offer similar benefits. Together, these studies highlight the importance of integrating sociological and psychological perspectives on person–environment fit and provide new insights into how the congruence between personal and public culture contributes to well-being in a global context.