Japans Changing Families

1
Japans Changing Families

• Kin, Kith, Community

2
Families by and with

• Strongly constructed discourse on families by the
  State
• Specific agents of change in changing governments
• Non-agentive internalization of messages
• Strong contradictions with lived constraints
• Productivity and intimacy

3
Major shifts

• Meiji-turn diverse forms of family into ie
  aligned with the State
• Mythical past and future, gerontocracy
• Modernize, rationalize
• Westernize
• Nationalize
• Expand population to build military and economy

• Post-WWII, disband ie, emphasize nuclear family
• Youth oriented
• Rebuild economy
• Democratize (individuate)
• change gender roles
• Family as unit of production and consumption

4
Meiji

• Abolished feudal caste system
• Stem family, chokkei kazoku?Victorianized katei
• Koseki system of registration
• Move to education
• Gendered roles, woman as moral educator
• Mother-son dyad
• Makiko writing diary 1910

5
WWII

• Connection to ie emphasized
• Mobilize families for war production
• Families separated, children sent from cities
• Japanese child being sent to safety

6
Post-War

• Allied Occupation applies democratic ideal,
  abolishes ie
• Nyu famiri (1950s, 60s)
• Uman ribu (1970s)
• Affluent poverty 1980s
• Poster depicting post-war family values in
  Japan

7
Womens ideal responsibility

• Education mother
• Moral advisor
• Keeper of household infrastructure
• PTA community liaison
• Cult of domesticity revisited
• Savvy consumer
• mother and child ivory doll

8
Womens reality

• Consume carefully, focus on one or two children
• Work, part-time preferred
• 2nd shift
• All risks devolve to mother
• Japanese mother and child in park

9
And men?

• Absentee working husband
• New man
• Romance? Omiai (matchmaking) or renai (love
  match)?
• Divorce puts children at risk for stigma
• From Thunder Father to Sunday Friend
• photo of newlyweds

10
Aging Japangraphic depicting shifting
demographics in 1950, 2007 and 2050
11
Creating Family

• Holiday consumption (Coming of Age Day, Girls
  Day, Childrens Day, Respect for Elderly Day)
• Mediating with institutions and technology
  Konbini and dapaato and coffee shops (convenience
  and department stores)
• Middle class recreate 3 generation family with
  built-in babysitter, and/or elder-care giver
• Rent a grandchild and preserve form