Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- Preface to the fourth edition
- Map of Japan
- 1 The Japan Phenomenon and the Social Sciences
- 2 Class and Stratification: An Overview
- 3 Geographical and Generational Variations
- 4 Forms of Work in Cultural Capitalism
- 5 Diversity and Unity in Education
- 6 Gender Stratification and the Family System
- 7 ‘Japaneseness’, Ethnicity, and Minority Groups
- 8 Collusion and Competition in the Establishment
- 9 Popular Culture and Everyday Life
- 10 Civil Society and Friendly Authoritarianism
- References
- Index
6 - Gender Stratification and the Family System
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- Preface to the fourth edition
- Map of Japan
- 1 The Japan Phenomenon and the Social Sciences
- 2 Class and Stratification: An Overview
- 3 Geographical and Generational Variations
- 4 Forms of Work in Cultural Capitalism
- 5 Diversity and Unity in Education
- 6 Gender Stratification and the Family System
- 7 ‘Japaneseness’, Ethnicity, and Minority Groups
- 8 Collusion and Competition in the Establishment
- 9 Popular Culture and Everyday Life
- 10 Civil Society and Friendly Authoritarianism
- References
- Index
Summary
The rise of feminism outside and inside Japan has sensitized observers to gender stratification in Japanese society and has directed attention to a wide range of questions. In what ways are Japanese women subjected to a Japan-specific system of gender control? What kinds of gender barriers exist in Japan’s labor market? How is female sexuality regulated in Japan? How are women disadvantaged in the Japanese family structure? This chapter examines these issues as the most fundamental problems of stratification, arguably more pivotal than other forms of inequality in contemporary Japan. Specifically, this chapter examines the patriarchal family registration system, which is embedded in gender relations and the family system in Japan, women’s employment situation in the labor market, issues of sexuality and reproduction, marriage and divorce, and various types of family life.
The Family Registration System and Ie Ideology
Beneath Japan’s gender relations and family system lies an elaborate system of registration which penetrates into the life of every Japanese and controls it in a fundamental way. The koseki (family registration) system is the cornerstone of the scheme, representing the usually veiled ura aspect of Japanese family structure. The basic unit of koseki is not an individual, but a household. The records of each individual’s gender, birthplace, date of birth, parents’ names, position among siblings, marriage, and divorce are kept in detail in each household koseki and filed in the local municipal office.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- An Introduction to Japanese Society , pp. 163 - 195Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2014