japanese society exam two

Describe inheritance and marriage patterns in Japans imperial family

Men can marry commoners women can’t

What was the predominant divorce rate in hapan in the post war period and how did this rate change in the wake of the economic recession?

Divorce rate was 2%, but with crumbling life employment it started to rise

According to marriage counselors in Alexy’s essay, what is the main problem with husbands and wives calling each other mother and father?

-it reinforces a culture of dependence that conflicts with a new neoliberal ideals of independence

-prioritizes each other’s identities as mother and father as opposed to wife and husband

According to Allison Alexy, what is a common argument Japanese women present to justify their decision to get a divorce?

husbands fail to meet mordern expectations of companionate relationships.

What is the most common background of people who become marriage counselors in contemporary Japan?

-divorced women can relate to other women more

While neoliberal philosophy encourages individuals to be autonomous, some women enjoy their husbands’ dependence on them. How do these women explain their position?

-someone women find dependence attractive vs threat of lonelinees

-do not like too considerate men

-think that dependence is find because it is mutual

enjoy complainign about thier dependent husbands.

What are the main factors that led to the development of a uniquely robust and profitable sex industry in Japan?

Toxic work culture, stress-> people want to take their minds off of it

-   Ideas about marriage in the family, intimacy is expected to grow out of marriage

According to Anne Allison, why do corporations pay for entertaining their men employees in hostess clubs? Explain how employers benefit from this practice.

Helps male employees relieve stress

In Akiko Takeyama’s study, what backgrounds do hosts come from?

Rural areas, people who want to make it big, make a lot of money. People who wanted to become entuoerpeneous

How do you explain the excessive décor, the types of dishes served, and the outrageously inflated prices in host clubs? What functions do these features serve in Takeyama’s view?

Create a fantasy

According to Takeyama, why do young Japanese men turn to hosting?

-don’t want to submit to lifetime employment

-lack of jobs

-entrepreneurship

-participate in Japanese consumer culture

In The Great Happiness Place, who are the customers of hosts?

-sex workers

What arguments do hosts offer to prove their point that their job is better than the employment of salarymen?

performance based - more work they put in the more rewards

How does Takeyama characterize the labor conditions of young men who work in host clubs? In what ways is the work of hosts highly exploitative?

drinking, destroys self to be best, judgement from flipping through book

According to Takeyama, how do hosts strive to preserve their masculine identity while working in the sex industry?

-present themselves as tough and entreprenurial

-manipulate women by making promises/staging popularity

Who are parasite singles?

young 20/30s unmarried women, who lives with their parents to enjoy. amore carefree and cofortable life.

Galbraith argues that maid café regulars are not failures, which is how they are commonly seen in Japan. According to Galbraith, why do men patronize maid cafes? What experience do these men seek in maid cafes?

Creation of fantasy space (use of curtains)
- Each purchase provides an opportunity for interaction
- Regulars enjoy interactions for their familiarity
- A man is not made to "feel like a man"
-- They visit maid cafes to avoid being judged as losers by real women

How does Galbraith characterize maid café regulars? Who are these men?

Otaku ("geeks" who take consumption beyond the limits of "social common sense")
- Late teen to early-40s
- Students and working men
- Do not have to support dependents
- Not married, but some have girlfriends

According to Galbraith, what are the key characteristic features of maid cafes?

alternative intimacy and affectional labor

How does Galbraith define moe? How does moe become essential to the experience that maid cafes offer for sale?

euphoric affective response to fictional characters or representations of them

Galbraith argues that maid cafes are social in ways that defy common sense. In what ways are the relationships that regulars develop with maids unique? That is, how do these relationships differ from normative relationship between men and women in Japan?

they operate on fictional role played scripts rather than concentional social or romantic expectations.

19. What social and economic trends facilitated the expansion of alternative forms of socializing in the wake of the recession?

end of lifetime employment, financial precarity, disconnection from worplace centric bonds.

According to Patrick Galbraith, why do young women choose to work in maid cafes and what are the characteristic features of their work conditions?

primarily out of a personal interest in anime, manga, computer or console games, cosplay, or voice acting, often driven by exposure to these subcultures through media or friends.

Describe the main characteristic features of religion in Japa

Shintoism/buddhism

-Shintoism

• Japan’s indigenous religion, no specific moral code

   Polytheistic and revolves around the kami, supernatural entities believed to inhabit all

  things.

   Offerings of food and drink to kami enshrined in shrines. This is done to cultivate harmony

  between humans and kami and to solicit the latter's blessing.

   Common rituals include rites of passage and seasonal festivals.

• Buddhusm

  • 552: introduction of Buddhism to Japan from Korea

     Buddhism is the second most common religion after Shintoism, but most people practice

    elements of both religions.

     After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the new imperial government adopted a strong anti-

    Buddhist attitude. A new form of pristine Shinto was adopted as the state religion to return

    to a pure Japanese spirit.

     In 1945, the occupation government abolished state Shinto, establishing freedom of

    religions and a separation of religion and state.

     In the 1960s, many temples were focused solely on providing services like funerals and

    burials.

     Still, around 90% of Japanese funerals are conducted according to Buddhist rites

According to Levi McLaughlin, how do religious organizations get involved in the political domain in Japan? In other words, how do religious organizations and political parties benefit one another?

mutalistic relationship, protection in exchange for voters

Describe the main characteristic features of mental health in Japan. Think of suicide rates among different segments of the population, the approach to depression, hikikomori, etc.

-mostly men

-mostly because of work

-hikikomori “shut ins”

-not a lot of talk therapy

-stigma

• 
  

How does Chikako Ozawa de Silva characterize Buddhist psychology?

problems are purely internal not external

How does Ozawa de Silva describe naikan as a therapeutic practice

kindness received from others, how you are perceived through others

What does the notion of “educational mother” mean in Japan?

education starts when they are pregnant, they have to do things to educate the child, even before school starts.

30. In lecture, we discussed that the expectations toward mothers are contradictory. Explain what that means and how this universal trend manifests itself in Japan

they are expected to provide strict educational support but also emotional support.

30. What are the main characteristics of the Japanese system of education

-education begins early in ones life

-education is compusory from 6-15

-90% of the population complete high school

-40% graduate from univeristy of college

-more male students at unviersity, more female students at junionr colleges

30. What evidence does Norma Field give to support her claim that Japanese children are overworked?

they have alot of adult problems, like loosing their hair, diabetes, etc

According to Norma Field, how does the state exercise its supervisory capacity over public and private schools?

textbook censorship, mandated moral education, alliances between schools and employers, state symbolism

Define “academic pedigree society.” What are some of the social consequences of academic pedigree society

1) bullying (612,000 cases in 2019)

 (2) violence (against other students and against teachers)

 (3) social shut-ins, absenteeism

Define shadow education.

-paid, out of school private tutorign, and academic coaching coaching

How would you characterize the teacher who was featured in the documentary film we watched in class?

she wanted to make learning more fun for her students

30. In lecture, images of lunch boxes were used to illustrate what aspect of education in Japan?

 

 

the double standard for moms