Consequences of Educational Expansion in Contemporary Japan II: Family and Social Institution

Panel Convenor(s)

• SM

  Satoshi Miwa

  University of Tokyo, Japan

Panel Chair(s)

• SM

  Satoshi Miwa

  University of Tokyo, Japan

Panel Discussant(s)

• MS

  Minami Shimosegawa

  Sakushin Gakuin University, Japan

Presenter(s)

• JZ

  Jiajie Zhang

  University of Tokyo, Japan
• MT

  Minaho Todaka

  University of Tokyo, Japan
• YC

  Yihe Chun

  University of Tokyo, Japan
• RN

  Rantaro Nasu

  University of Tokyo, Japan

This panel session was organized in order to discuss various issues of disparity and inequality concerning university students and their families after educational expansion in Japanese society. All of our researches are based upon quantitative approach for social research, especially using micro-level behavioral datasets. Japan's higher education advancement rate has been steadily rising since the 1990s, and currently stands at a level approaching 60%.  Under these circumstances, it has been pointed out that there are problems with the quality of university education, the increase in the number of dropouts, the difficulty in finding employment for university students, the careers of youth generation, the soaring cost of education, family relationships and home education, etc. In order to clarify the social mechanisms underlying these problems, we analyze changes in people's behavior and their relationship to social institutions and structures. This organized panel session focuses on the family relationships and social status in Japan and beyond. This session is comprised of four speakers who have researched on sociology of education, social stratification, or family studies.

The first speaker is Jiajie Zhang. Her study employs panel data from China, Japan, and South Korea and using event history analysis to delve into the relationship between the educational levels of couples and the timing and number of children. She shows that the educational levels of both partners and the cost of education significantly impact the timing and quantity of children, with notable variations among the three countries.

The second speaker is Minaho Todaka. She describes the overall picture of children’s housework in Japan including how much they do housework, and what kind of specific chores they engage in. She reveals that gender inequality in housework starts from a very young age. Besides, an analysis of whether the gender gap in housework has widened or changed as children grow will be conducted with the use of panel data.

The third speaker is Yihe Chun. She analyzes that interaction between socio-economic status and marital satisfaction between wife and husband. Her research illuminates an intriguing pivot in Japanese socio-cultural paradigms, indicating a potential departure from tradition towards more rationale-based marital perspectives.

The fourth speaker is Rantaro Nasu. His study conducts a cross-countries comparison of the social positions of precarious employees using subjective social status as the dependent variable. The institutional and normative context in each society may affect the stratification structure.

Presentations:

• 11:15 – 13:00 (GMT+7)

  The Impact of Education and Costs on Birth Rates in East Asia: A Comparative Study of China, Japan, and South Korea
  

  Presenter: Jiajie Zhang – University of Tokyo
• 11:15 – 13:00 (GMT+7)

  Who “Avoids” Housework? – Evidence from Teenagers in Japan
  

  Presenter: Minaho Todaka – University of Tokyo
• 11:15 – 13:00 (GMT+7)

  Understanding Women's Gender Consciousness in Marital Relationships: Traditional Gender Roles or Rationalism?
  

  Presenter: Yihe Chun – University of Tokyo
• 11:15 – 13:00 (GMT+7)

  The Effect of Institutional Context on Social Status of Precarious Employees in Stratified Societies
  

  Presenter: Rantaro Nasu – University of Tokyo