Patriarchy in East Asia : a comparative sociology of gender / / by Sechiyama Kaku ; translated by James Smith.

• Author: Sechiyama, Kaku, 1963-
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Language: English
• Series: The Intimate and the Public in Asian and Global Perspectives 2.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (345 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

The role and significance of patriarchy in East Asia varies greatly according to the interplay between deeply entrenched cultural norms, economic change, and government policy. The aim of this book, therefore, is to offer an historical perspective on these issues combined with an analysis of the transitions and outcomes that have occurred in the status of women over the course of modernization and industrialization in five East Asian societies – Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Taiwan, and China. The narrative is interwoven with a discussion of contemporary issues such as the persistence of tradition and gender discrimination, how gender roles undermine the development of healthier marriage and family relationships (and better relations among the generations), the lack of full equality for women in employment, falling birth rates, and rising divorce rates. Patriarchy in East Asia is the first study of its kind undertaken by a sociologist who is fluent in all of the local languages, thereby providing a rare level of access in terms of research of primary sources.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material / Sechiyama Kaku -- Introduction: Toward a Comparative Sociology of Gender / Sechiyama Kaku -- What is Patriarchy? / Sechiyama Kaku -- The Emergence of the Housewife and Transformations in Her Position / Sechiyama Kaku -- The Japanese Housewife and Patriarchy / Sechiyama Kaku -- Contemporary Patriarchy and the Housewife in Japan / Sechiyama Kaku -- South Korean Patriarchy / Sechiyama Kaku -- Taiwanese Patriarchy / Sechiyama Kaku -- Patriarchy in North Korea / Sechiyama Kaku -- Patriarchy in China / Sechiyama Kaku -- Recent Social and Political Changes in East Asia / Sechiyama Kaku -- Conclusions / Sechiyama Kaku -- Afterword: A Man Concerned About Gender Equality? / Sechiyama Kaku -- Bibliography / Sechiyama Kaku -- Index / Sechiyama Kaku.