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: 9780262692632
• ISBN10: 0262692635
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: Mit Pr

Summary

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. 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.

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