Road Winds Uphill All the Way : Gender, Work, and Family in the United States and Japan

by Myra H. Strober and Agnes Miling Kaneko Chan

• ISBN13: 9780262194150
• ISBN10: 0262194155
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-06-25
• Publisher: Mit Pr

Summary

In a time of societal transition, women and men around the globe struggle to combine careers and family in new ways. However, conventional work and family structures and power imbalances between women and men often reinforce traditional gender stereotypes in both home and office. In an effort to understand the roots of gender inequality, Myra Strober and Agnes Miling Kaneko Chan conducted an extensive survey of the 1981 graduates of Stanford and Tokyo Universities-parallel populations in historically very different cultures. First-hand comments from the graduates are combined with quantitative analyses for a lively examination of the career and family choices of these highly educated women and men. Contrasting the realities of household responsibilities, childcare, and discrimination in the workplace with the graduates' original expectations, the authors find that the road to more egalitarian work and family arrangements winds uphill all the way. The authors take a fresh look at the widespread belief that U.S. gender equity is light years ahead of Japan's. The elite group of Japanese and Americans in their study describe surprisingly similar experiences as they faced the job market and began raising families. In both countries, more balanced gender roles will require improved public and business policies, individual strategies, and collective action.

Author Biography

Myra H. Strober is a labor economist and Professor of Education at the School of Education, Stanford University. Agnes Miling Kaneko Chan is a professor at Mejiro University and at the Nagoya Cultural Women's College, a singer, a television personality, and Ambassador of the Japan Committee for UNICEF.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Acknowledgments	xvii
Introduction	1	(22)
Organization of the Book	5	(1)
The Stanford--Todai Comparison	6	(1)
Japanese and U.S. Labor Markets for University Graduates	7	(4)
Legal Commitments to Gender Equity in the Labor Market in the United States and Japan	11	(2)
Higher Education in Japan and the United States	13	(4)
Tokyo University and Stanford University	17	(6)
The Women and Men of Stanford and Todai: Survey Procedures, Demographics, Educational Attainment, Occupations, and Employment	23	(24)
Surveying the Graduates	23	(1)
Demographics of the Graduates	24	(7)
Education	31	(4)
Occupations of the Graduates	35	(3)
Employment Status	38	(3)
Commitment to Paid Work	41	(2)
Summary of Major Findings	43	(2)
Appendix	45	(2)
What Influences the Earnings of the Graduates?	47	(38)
Theories About Earning	48	(5)
The Graduates' Earnings Compared with Those of Their Contemporaries	53	(2)
The Graduates' Earnings and Hours Employed	55	(3)
Determinants of Earnings	58	(9)
Gender Differences in Earnings	67	(5)
Summary of Major Findings	72	(1)
Appendix	73	(4)
Decomposition of the Gender-Earnings Differential	77	(8)
How Did the Graduates Combine Career and Marriage?	85	(64)
Couples' Decisions About Combining Work and Family: A Theoretical Framework	86	(4)
Combining Two Careers	90	(3)
Women Who Became Full-Time Homemarkers	93	(13)
Who Is Responsible for Doing Household Tasks?	106	(5)
Satisfaction with Household Task Arrangements	111	(5)
Bargaining Power, Hours of Paid Work, and Household Task Arrangements in Two-Earner Couples	116	(2)
The Relationship Between Household Task Arrangements, Number of Hours of Paid Work, and Earnings	118	(5)
Egalitarian, Traditional, and ``Hybrid'' Families	123	(10)
Occupational Differences	133	(7)
Summary of Major Findings	140	(4)
Appendix	144	(5)
How Did the Graduates Care for Their Children?	149	(30)
Employment Status of Graduates Who Were Parents	150	(2)
The Decision to Have a Chid	152	(3)
How the Graduates Cared for Their Children	155	(15)
Fathers who Actively Participated in Child Care	170	(5)
Summary of Major Findings	175	(4)
Looking to the Future	179	(24)
How Accurate Are the Graduates' Predictions About Their Own Future Earnings Likely to Be?	180	(1)
The Graduates' Expectations	181	(10)
Determinants of Expected Earnings	191	(8)
Analysis of Gender Differences in Expected Earnings	199	(2)
Summary of Major Findings on Graduates' Expectations	201	(2)
Major Findings and Policy Recommendations	203	(24)
Major Findings of the Study	203	(13)
Policy Recommendations	216	(9)
Conclusion	225	(2)
Appendix: List of Tables	227	(6)
Notes	233	(28)
References	261	(8)
Index	269