Society and Family in Japan

This course examines the family system in contemporary Japan and the changes it has gone through, particularly during the last two decades. It examines transformations and changes alongside continuity in social institutions and cultural patterns. Among other issues we will discuss: the Confucian Ethics and its' implications, gender division of labor – in the family and the society, family life in pre-modern Japan, the urban family in post-war era, and new trends which affect Japan's demography - such as late marriage and low birthrate.