Postwar Japanese Women and Their Roles

Postwar Japanese Women and their Roles Introduction In the post war period, the Japanese women did not have an alternative to leaving work while their children were still young. Large corporations in Japan required continuous service from their employers, in order for them to receive high status. It was difficult for women to re-enter a large company after a career break and if there was chances of re-entering one would not be eligible for a seniority pay.

After the war, the role of a Japanese woman had to change at it became that of a housewife, they were forced to leave paid labor and return later after their children were in school. They engaged in low paying jobs or factory work. This forced women to work under exploitive and unhealthy working states not only to improve their own lives but also better the lives of their families. These women lived in congested and often diseased dormitories where they were treated as virtual prisoners. Gender stratification In the Japanese history, gender has been a significant principle of stratification. This occurs when men are given a greater privilege and authority over women due to their gender differences.

Gender roles have been prejudiced by a traditional mindset (Dower 1999)[1]. This is not uncommon in Haruko’s world where her husband cultivates a political and a social network and enjoys his time with friends drinking saki while Haruko continues with her back breaking work. sho-ichi and Haruko’s world are dramatically different. Sho-ichi become a recognized leader in the community and enjoys the priveleges of travelling to other countries for training. In business, men and women had separate stance in terms of salary, promotion and the type of work assigned.

Women agreed that they ...

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... Women’s educational chances have been on the increase giving birth to a new generation of learned women. Japanese women are able to join the labor force; this is a great move away from household employment.

Most of these women in the work force have preferred to live with no husband or children. However, also married women have increased their participation in the labor force. Simply, the Japanese women status is being updated. Their socio-economic positions have changed.

Works Cited

Dower, John W. "Japan in the wake of World War II." In Embracing defeat, W.W. Norton & Company, 1999. 155

[2] Bernstein, Gail Lee. In Haruko's World, Stanford University Press, 1996. 17

[3] Bernstein, Gail Lee. In Haruko's World, Stanford University Press, 1996. 15

[4] Dower, John W. "Japan in the wake of World War II." In Embracing defeat, W.W. Norton & Company, 1999. 158