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dc.contributor.authorMai, Lillian
dc.date.accessioned2007-12-21
dc.date.available2007-12-21
dc.date.issued2007-12-21
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/2164
dc.description.abstractABSTRACT The 1990s saw important developments in the employment practices of Japanese women as necessitated by economic recession. Japanese women are increasingly postponing their traditional roles of wife and mother in lieu of expanding education and employment opportunities, suggesting that we are approaching or witnessing a period of redefinition of the prevailing gender structure. This thesis offers a theoretical exposition of this “crisis” in the gender structure utilising Connell’s concept of “hegemonic masculinity” and Finnemore and Sikkink’s “norm life cycle model”. This thesis will be presented as follows: i) hegemonic masculinity will be applied to the Japanese context to argue for the centrality of masculinity defined through the corporation, and for its significance in an understanding of femininity; ii) discussion of the “feminisation” of part-time work in Japan will test whether a challenge to the gender order from within of this nature represents a profound redefinition of the hegemonic gender structure; and iii) discursive study of Japanese state legislation and policy will reveal government commitment to ensuring continuity in gender norm dynamics. The findings suggest that we are not witnessing a period of “crisis” or profound transformation in the gender structure for greater gender equality. The pervasiveness of gender norm ideology in Japan is such that once established these norms have maintained an internal momentum so that changes in the material sphere are constrained by these ideational structures and not vice versa. The current period is marked by cooptation of gender norm challenges by corporations and government in an effort to neutralise gender norm challenge.en
dc.description.sponsorshipN/Aen
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.relation.ispartofseriesGovt First Class Honsen
dc.rightsThe author retains copyright of this thesis
dc.subjectJapanen
dc.subjectGenderen
dc.subjectWomenen
dc.subjectHegemonic Masculinityen
dc.subjectGender Order/Gender Regimeen
dc.subjectEmploymenten
dc.subjectWorken
dc.subjectpost-bubbleen
dc.subjectpost industrialen
dc.titleWomen and Work in Contemporary Japan: Deconstructing the "Crisis" of the Gender Orderen
dc.typeThesis, Honoursen
dc.description.departmentDepartment of Government and International Relationsen
dc.contributor.departmentDepartment of Government and International Relationsen


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