Plural norms of Gender in the Process of Modernization in Japan : How hired women have been placed in the labor force

2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 14510243
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 社会学(含社会福祉関係)
• Research Institution: Shikoku Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: INAGAKI Kiyo Shikoku Gakuin University, Department of Sociology, Professor, (2004年度まで)社会学部応用社会学科, 教授 (90232503)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MATSUMOTO Kyoko Shikoku Gakuin University, Department of Literature, Professor, 文学部言語文化科, 教授 (80209626) ; SATO Yumiko Shikoku Gakuin University, Department of Sociology, Professor, 社会学部応用社会学科, 教授 (60309705) ; KURASHIKI Nobuko Shikoku Gakuin University, Department of Literature, Assistant Professor, 文学部人文学科, 助教授 (40289327)
• Project Period (FY): 2002 – 2004
• Keywords: Women's labor / industrialization / Urbanization / Gender norm / Life history / Regional variations / Cohort comparisons / Life story

Research Abstract

The following : Summary of the last three chapters of the final report (Chapters : 1. Research design, 2. Analysis of statistical data, 3. Report on the questionnaire, 4. Report on the interviews.)
2:Using statistical data (1950 -1980) of former Shido-cho and former Shirotori-cho ("Shido" and "Shirotori" hereafter), both located in the eastern part of Kagawa Prefecture, the following is verified :
Many women worked as farmers till the 1950s. Since then, Shido's industrial structure developing into a "suburban pattern" while Shirotori specializing in "Glove-making" industry, resulted in quite different work patterns of women.
3:The analysis of the questionnaire (respondents: women born in the 1920-1950s) indicates :
(1)The percentage of women who continue/d working since their marriage being 40-50% (20-35 % for women born during the 1940s) is generally high.
(2)The curb lines of percentages of women's labor force by age show much less difference in Shirotori than in Shido.
(3)The women in 4 c ohorts fairly evenly support the gender-norm ideology "Full-time mother while children are small", indicating a gap between the perceived norm and realities.
4-1:Shido :
(1)Most of the 31 interviewees quit their jobs when getting married or giving birth ; many of them continue/d working (farming, employed and/or doing piece-work) ; 20 percent of them became full-time mothers when children were small.
(2)The women have varied work patterns due to socio/economic conditions and their "cultural conditions" such as families (born-into and married-into), education, etc.
4-2:Shirotori
(1)Many of the 49 interviewees work/ed in the local Industry (Glove-making) as self-employed or piece-workers; when including industries connected with glove-making, half of them work/ed in these industries.
(2)The interviewees' families have had many multi-business forms where families run farms while self-employed/doing piece-work in glove-making, or pursuing additional business ; thus interviewees have worked in diverse and multilayered patterns.