Work and Family in Japanese Society (SpringerBriefs in Population Studies)

This book provides a systematic framework for interpreting the fertility decline in Japan. It situates the change in fertility rates in a broader context, such as family life and working customs. The basic argument it puts forward is that Japan has failed to establish a “dual-earner” society: women still face the trade-off between having a career or starting a family, which has led to an extremely low fertility rate in Japanese society. Further to this rather common explanation, which could also be applied to other low-fertility societies such as Germany and Italy, the author presents an original view. Japan has had its own momentum in holding on to its strong “men as breadwinners and women as housekeepers” model by creating a unique regime, namely, a Japanese model of a welfare society. This regime places special emphasis on the welfare provided by private companies and family members instead of by the government. Private firms are expected to secure men’s jobs and income to the greatest extent, taking advantage of Japanese employment customs. On the other hand, women are expected to provide care for their family members. The book argues that the familialist orientation is still dominant in Japan and is repeatedly reinforced in the policy context. Acknowledgements 6 Contents 7 1 Introduction: Gender and Working Conditions in Capitalist Countries 9 1.1 General Trends in Women’s Employment in Industrialized Countries 9 1.2 Heterogeneity Among Countries 11 1.3 Divergent Paths After the 1970s 16 1.4 About This Book 18 References 19 2 Factors Influencing the Fertility Decline in Japan 20 2.1 Fertility Decline in Postwar Japan 20 2.2 Factors Influencing the Declining Marriage Rate 24 2.3 Relationship Between Birthrate and Female Labor Participation 27 References 29 3 Stagnant Women’s Employment Participation in Japan 30 3.1 Japanese Women’s Labor Force Participation 30 3.2 Theories of Female Labor Force Participation 31 3.3 Factors Increasing Female Employment in Japan 34 3.4 Women’s Labor Force Participation and Policy Interventions 36 References 37 4 Labor Market, Working Customs, and Women’s Employment in Japan 39 4.1 Employment and Working Customs and the Internal Labor Market 39 4.2 The Multilayered Labor Market and Women’s Employment 44 4.3 The Unintended Results of the Equal Employment Opportunity Law 47 References 49 5 Work and Family in Japan from the Comparative Perspective 50 5.1 Welfare Regime Typology and the Life Security System in Japan 50 5.2 Politics of Work and Family 53 5.3 A Possible Means of Encouraging Female Employment 55 References 57 6 Japan’s Changing Families and Future Agenda 58 6.1 The Departure from the Family Patriarchy 58 6.2 Equal Rights Between Genders Without Equal Economic Opportunities 60 6.3 Declining Family Formations 63 6.4 Aging and the Limits of Gendered Families 65 References 66 Front Matter ....Pages i-viii Introduction: Gender and Working Conditions in Capitalist Countries (Junya Tsutsui)....Pages 1-11 Factors Influencing the Fertility Decline in Japan (Junya Tsutsui)....Pages 13-22 Stagnant Women’s Employment Participation in Japan (Junya Tsutsui)....Pages 23-31 Labor Market, Working Customs, and Women’s Employment in Japan (Junya Tsutsui)....Pages 33-43 Work and Family in Japan from the Comparative Perspective (Junya Tsutsui)....Pages 45-52 Japan’s Changing Families and Future Agenda (Junya Tsutsui)....Pages 53-61