Social Class in Contemporary Japan: Structures, Sorting and Strategies (The Nissan Institute / Routledge Japanese Studies)

Post-war Japan was often held up as the model example of the first mature industrial societies outside the Western economy, and the first examples of ''middle-mass'' society. Today, and since the bursting of the economic bubble in the 1990’s, the promises of Japan, Inc., seem far away. __Social Class in Contemporary Japan__ is the first single volume that traces the dynamics of social structure, institutional socialization and class culture through this turbulent period, all the way into the contemporary neoliberal moment. In an innovative multi-disciplinary approach that include top scholars working on quantitative class structure, policy development, and ethnographic analysis, this volume highlights the centrality of class formation to our understanding of the many levels of Japanese society. The chapters each address a different aspect of class formation and transformation which stand on their own. Taken together, they document the advantages of putting Japan in the broad comparative framework of class analysis and the enduring importance of social class to the analysis of industrial and post-industrial societies. Written by a team of contributors from Japan, the US and Europe this book will be invaluable to students and scholars of Japanese society and culture, as well as those interested in cultural anthropology and social class alike. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 8 Copyright......Page 9 Contents......Page 10 Figures......Page 12 Tables......Page 13 Contributors......Page 14 Series editors’ preface......Page 16 Acknowledgments......Page 18 1 Social class in Japan......Page 20 Part I Class structure......Page 50 2 Does class matter in Japan?: Demographics of class structure and class mobility from a comparative perspective......Page 52 3 Marriage as an association of social classes in a low fertility rate society: Towards a new theory of social stratification......Page 76 Part II Class sorting......Page 104 4 From credential society to “learning capital” society: A rearticulation of class formation in Japanese education and society......Page 106 5 Social class and economic life chances in post-industrial Japan: The “lost generation”......Page 133 Part III Class socialization......Page 154 6 The “new working class” of urban Japan: Socialization and contradiction from middle school to the labor market......Page 156 7 What color is your parachute?: The post-degree society......Page 189 Part IV Class strategies......Page 214 8 Motherhood and class: Gender, class, and reproductive practices among Japanese single mothers......Page 216 9 How ethnic minorities experience social mobility in Japan: An ethnographic study of Peruvian migrants......Page 240 Index......Page 258 "Social Class in Contemporary Japan is the first single volume that traces the dynamics of social structure, institutional socialization and class culture through this turbulent period, all the way into the contemporary neoliberal movement. Using an innovative multi-disciplinary approach that includes top scholars working on quantitative class structure, policy development, and ethnographic analysis, this volume highlights the centrality of class formation to our understanding of the many levels of Japanese society." "Written by a team of contributors from Japan, the US and Europe, this book will be invaluable to students and scholars of Japanese society and culture, as well as those interested in cultural anthropology and social class alike." --Book Jacket By Analyzing 30 Cases, Wu Fei Studies The Dynamics Of Suicide In Terms Of Family Politics And Local Psychology And Finds That Suicide Is Committed When A Power Balance Is Broken In The Games Of Power In The Family. Unlike Public Injustice, Domestic Injustice Is Not Only Closely Related To, But Also Often Strengthened By Emotional Interdependence. Suicide And Depression Are Different Responses To The Same Situation Of Domestic Injustice. The Book Also Covers Suicide As Perceived By Rural People Outside The Family; How Suicide Is Viewed In Politics; Suicide Prevention And Studies Of Suicide In Chinese Modern Intellectual History.--jacket. Wu Fei. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Through examination of contemporary Japanese society, this book demonstrates that the analysis of class formation is fundamental for a clear understanding of institutions and collective identity such as family, school work, gender and ethnicity.