Abstract
Abstract
Informed by the social cognitive theory of co-orientation, this qualitative study explored the impact of family and social discourse on women’s motherhood and professional identities through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 13 Japanese women born in the decade before and after the Japanese Equal Employment Opportunity Law was established in 1986. Overall, the interviews revealed two lifestyle categories – semi-traditional and modern. Specifically, the interviews revealed that women in the semi-traditional and modern categories enacted some form of change in their gender ideology and that women in the modern category experienced more dialogue-based communication and equal power dynamic with their husbands compared to women in the semi-traditional category in which they experienced one-way communication and a greater power differential with husbands. Informed by the literature on cultural values, the findings from this study conclude that Japanese women’s empowerment is built not by resistance to oppression but by conquering the over-taxation.
© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Article metrics loading...
/content/journals/10.1075/japc.00077.ima
2022-07-19
2024-03-29
-
/content/journals/10.1075/japc.00077.ima
dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
-contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
10
5
Full text loading...
References
-
Bond, M. H.
(1996) Chinese values. InM. H. Bond (Ed.) The handbook of Chinese psychology (pp.208–226). Oxford University Press.
[Google Scholar]
-
Byers, A. M., & Hacket, G.
(
1998) Applications of social cognitive theory to the career development of women of color.
Applied and Preventive Psychology,
71, 255–267.
10.1016/S0962‑1849(98)80029‑2
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0962-1849(98)80029-2
[Google Scholar]
-
Canning, K., & Lazonick, W.
(
1994) Equal employment opportunity and the “managerial women” in Japan.
Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society,
331, 44–69.
10.1111/j.1468‑232X.1994.tb00326.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-232X.1994.tb00326.x
[Google Scholar]
-
Chinese Cultural Connection
Chinese Cultural Connection (
1987) Chinese values and the search for culture-free dimensions of culture.
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology,
181, 143–164.
10.1177/0022002187018002002
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002187018002002
[Google Scholar]
-
Corbin, J., & Strauss, A.
(2015) Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (4th ed.). Sage.
[Google Scholar]
-
Davis, S. N., & Greenstein, T. N.
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-070308-115920
[Google Scholar]
-
Edwards, L. N.
(
1988) Equal employment opportunity in Japan: A view from the West.
International and Labor Relations Review,
411, 240–250.
10.1177/001979398804100206
https://doi.org/10.1177/001979398804100206
[Google Scholar]
-
Emslie, C., & Hunt, K.
(
2009) ‘Live to work’ or ‘work to live’?: A qualitative study of gender and work–life balance among men and women in mid-life.
Gender, Work and Organization,
161, 151–172.
10.1111/j.1468‑0432.2008.00434.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0432.2008.00434.x
[Google Scholar]
-
Erickson, R. J.
(
2005) Why emotion work matters: sex, gender, and the division of household labor.
Journal of Marriage and Family,
671, 337–351.
10.1111/j.0022‑2445.2005.00120.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-2445.2005.00120.x
[Google Scholar]
-
Eto, M.
(
2005) Women’s movements in Japan: the intersection between everyday life and politics.
Japan Forum,
171, 311–333.
10.1080/09555800500283810
https://doi.org/10.1080/09555800500283810
[Google Scholar]
-
Fujita, M.
(
1989) “It’s all mother’s fault”: Childcare and the socialization of working mothers in Japan.
Journal of Japanese Studies,
151, 67–91.
10.2307/132408
https://doi.org/10.2307/132408
[Google Scholar]
-
Glaser, B. G. & Strauss, A. L.
(1967) The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Aldine.
[Google Scholar]
-
Heider, F.
https://doi.org/10.1037/10628-000
[Google Scholar]
-
Hofstede, G.
(1980) Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values. Sage.
[Google Scholar]
-
Hofstede, G.
(
2011) Dimensionalizing cultures: The hofstede model in context.
Online Readings in Psychology and Culture,
21.
10.9707/2307‑0919.1014
https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1014
[Google Scholar]
-
Kang, J. S.
(
2017) Evaluating labor force participation of women in Japan and Korea: Developments and future prospects.
Asian Journal of Women’s Studies,
231, 294–320.
10.1080/12259276.2017.1351589
https://doi.org/10.1080/12259276.2017.1351589
[Google Scholar]
-
Kazui, M.
(
1997) The influence of cultural expectations on mother-child relationships in Japan.
Journal of Environmental Applied Psychology,
181, 485–496.
10.1016/S0193‑3973(97)90023‑X
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0193-3973(97)90023-X
[Google Scholar]
-
Koerner, A. F., & Fitzpatrick, M. A.
(
2006) Family communication patterns theory: A social cognitive approach. In
D. O. Braithwaite & L. A. Baxter (Eds.),
Engaging theories in family communication: Multiple perspectives (pp.
50–65). Sage.
10.4135/9781452204420.n4
https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452204420.n4
[Google Scholar]
-
Lambert, P. A.
https://doi.org/10.1353/jjs.2007.0023
[Google Scholar]
-
Lee, K. S., Tufis, P. A., & Alwin, D. F.
(
2010) Separate spheres or increasing equality?: Changing gender beliefs in postwar Japan.
Journal of Marriage and Family,
721, 184–201.
10.1111/j.1741‑3737.2009.00691.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2009.00691.x
[Google Scholar]
-
Marks, G., & Houston, D. M.
(
2002) Attitudes toward work and motherhood held by working and non-working mothers.
Work, employment and society,
161, 523–536.
10.1177/095001702762217470
https://doi.org/10.1177/095001702762217470
[Google Scholar]
-
Matsui, M.
[Google Scholar]
-
McLeod & Chafee
[Google Scholar]
-
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
[Google Scholar]
-
Mun, E., & Brinton, M. C.
(
2015) Workplace matters: The use of parental leave policy in Japan.
Work and Occupations,
431, 335–369.
10.1177/0730888415574781
https://doi.org/10.1177/0730888415574781
[Google Scholar]
-
Nakamura, M., & Akiyoshi, M.
(
2016) Who does the dishes?: Fairness and household chores. In
G. Steel (Ed.),
Power in contemporary Japan (pp.
79–91). Palgrave Macmillan.
10.1057/978‑1‑137‑59193‑7_5
https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59193-7_5
[Google Scholar]
-
Nakano, M.
(2017) “Ikuji sedai” no jirenma [The dilemma of the “childcare leave generation”]. Kobunsha Shinsho.
[Google Scholar]
-
Newcomb, T. M.
(
1953) An approach to the study of communicative acts.
Psychological Review,
601, 393–404.
10.1037/h0063098
https://doi.org/10.1037/h0063098
[Google Scholar]
-
OECD
[Google Scholar]
-
OECD
-
Ogasawara, Y.
(2019) Working women’s husbands as helpers or partners. InG. Steel (Ed.) Beyond the gender gap in Japan (pp.83–102). University of Michigan Press.
[Google Scholar]
-
Ryan, G. W., & Bernard, H. R.
(2003) Data management and analysis methods. InN. K. Densin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials (2nd Ed). Sage.
[Google Scholar]
-
Sasaki, M.
(
2002) The causal effect of family structure on labor force participation among Japanese married women.
Journal of Human Resources,
371, 429–440.
10.2307/3069654
https://doi.org/10.2307/3069654
[Google Scholar]
-
Shimada, H., & Higuchi, Y.
https://doi.org/10.1086/298089
[Google Scholar]
-
Statistics Bureau of Japan
[Google Scholar]
-
Steinberg, S., Kruckman, L., & Steinberg, S.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00368-8
[Google Scholar]
-
Strauss, A. L.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511557842
[Google Scholar]
-
Tachibanaki, T.
(2010) The new paradox for Japanese women: Greater choice, greater inequality. International House.
[Google Scholar]
-
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
[Google Scholar]
-
Watanabe, N.
(1995) Shufu kara zennichisei shimin e, soshite seikatsusha toshiteno josei e [From housewives to full citizens and vibrant women]. InY. Sato, M. Amano, & H. Nasu (Eds.), Joseitachi no seikatsusha und ̄o: seikatsu kurabu o sasaeru hitobito [The women’s movement for everyday life] (pp.175–221). Maruj ̄usha.
[Google Scholar]
-
Yun, S. H.
(
2012) An analysis of Confucianism’s yin-yang harmony with nature and the traditional oppression of women: Implications for social work practice.
Journal of Social Work,
131, 582–598.
10.1177/1468017312436445
https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017312436445
[Google Scholar]
-
Zhang, Y. B., Lin, M-C., Nonaka, A., & Beon, K.
(
2006) Harmony, hierarchy and conservatism: A cross-cultural comparison of Confucian Values in China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.
Communication Research Reports,
221, 107–115.
10.1080/00036810500130539
https://doi.org/10.1080/00036810500130539
[Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1075/japc.00077.ima