Gendering Work: Deconstructing the Narrative of the Japanese Economic Miracle

Abstract

The story of the Japanese system, held up as a model for economic prosperity and growth, underplays the role of non-standard labour in the narrative of `success'. Our analysis deconstructs the narrative of the Japanese economic miracle to shed light on this almost invisible pillar by tracing the historical development of non-standard employment among women. We find that this form of work constitutes a larger and faster growing share of total employment than heretofore realised, and that women account for most of the change. Rather than merely a residual dimension of Japanese employment practices, the evidence indicates that non-standard employment represents a key component of work transformation and underscores the salience of gender in the process of Japan's restructuring. We identify three institutional domains which help to explain this gendered pattern of labour market experiences in Japan: the labour market, the family, and the state. These institutional legacies set conditions for the development of the Japanese employment system which favours men as full-time wage earners and women as part-time wage workers and full-time care-givers.

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