Gender roles and social policy in an ageing society

TY - JOUR

T1 - Gender roles and social policy in an ageing society

AU - Makita, Meiko

PY - 2010/10/13

Y1 - 2010/10/13

N2 - This article reviews the major underpinnings of the Japanese welfare state in the context of social care from a feminist perspective. In Japan, familycare responsibilities have traditionally been assigned to women; hence, care has long been a women’s issue. However, as the social contract of a male breadwinner and a ’’professional housewife’’ gradually fades out, Japanese women find more opportunities to renegotiate their caring roles. Of course, this social transformation did not occur in isolation, it was influenced by patterns in economic development, state policies and mainly demographic changes. All this has stimulated new state responses in the form of social welfare expansion that arguably aim to relieve women of the burdens of family-care. The issue remains, however, as to whether Japan would be able to recognise that the main structural issues of population ageing do not originate from demographic changes, but from a strict gendered division of labour and gender inequality.

AB - This article reviews the major underpinnings of the Japanese welfare state in the context of social care from a feminist perspective. In Japan, familycare responsibilities have traditionally been assigned to women; hence, care has long been a women’s issue. However, as the social contract of a male breadwinner and a ’’professional housewife’’ gradually fades out, Japanese women find more opportunities to renegotiate their caring roles. Of course, this social transformation did not occur in isolation, it was influenced by patterns in economic development, state policies and mainly demographic changes. All this has stimulated new state responses in the form of social welfare expansion that arguably aim to relieve women of the burdens of family-care. The issue remains, however, as to whether Japan would be able to recognise that the main structural issues of population ageing do not originate from demographic changes, but from a strict gendered division of labour and gender inequality.

KW - ageing society

KW - familism

KW - gender roles

KW - Japanese welfare

KW - social care

U2 - 10.3384/ijal.1652-8670.105177

DO - 10.3384/ijal.1652-8670.105177

M3 - Article

SN - 1652-8670

VL - 5

SP - 77

EP - 106

JO - International Journal of Ageing and Later Life

JF - International Journal of Ageing and Later Life

IS - 1

ER -