Japanese Femininities

ISBN-13: 9780415662581 / Angielski / Twarda / 2013 / 160 str.

Justin Charlebois

Opis

This book contributes to our understanding of gender roles and femininity in Japan by examining the gendered division of labour that emerged in post-World War II Japan. Without question, the tireless perseverance of corporate salarymen and professional housewives contributed to Japan s rise from a state of post-war devastation to an economic superpower. However, have these stereotypes changed in the contemporary era, and to what extent has the Japanese women's perception of their own roles as care-givers and home-makers changed over time?

Using extensive interview materials Justin Charlebois analyses these issues and puts forward the argument that the exceptions to this perceived norm of Japanese femininity such as career women and working mothers could be considered "queer." This more expanded conceptualization of queer extends this term beyond sexual minorities to include certain heterosexual and gender identities which deviate from the norm in a society which privileges gender-specific social roles, monogamous heterosexual relationships, and the institution of marriage.

Spis treści

1. Hegemonic Masculinity and Emphasized Femininity in Post-World War II Japan 2. The Social Construction of Gender 3. Methodology, Data Collection, and Research Participants 4. Dominant Discourses Constituting Emphasized Femininity 5. Related Discourses Constituting Emphasized Femininity 6. Oppositional Femininities 7. Conclusion

O autorze

Justin Charlebois is Associate Professor of Communication in the Department of Global Culture and Communication at Aichi Shukutoku University, Japan.