Gambling With Virtue: Japanese Women and the Search for Self in a Changing Nation PDF
Preview Gambling With Virtue: Japanese Women and the Search for Self in a Changing Nation
Gambling with Virtue GAMBLING WITH VIRTUE Japanese Women and the Search for Self in a Changing Nation Nancy Rosenberger UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I PRESS Honolulu © 2001 University of Hawai‘i Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 01 02 03 04 05 06 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rosenberger, Nancy Ross. Gambling with virtue: Japanese women and the search for self in a changing nation/ Nancy Rosenberger. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–8248–2262–5 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 0–8248–2388–5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Women—Japan. 2. Self-perception in women—Japan. I. Title. HQ1762.R67 2001 155.8'952—dc21 00–055936 University of Hawai‘i Press books are printed on acid-free paper and meet the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Council on Library Resources. Book design by Kenneth Miyamoto Printed by The Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing Group To Clint, Elisa, Ted, and Laura Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 PART I Glimpses into the ’70s: Reworking Traditions 11 Chapter 1 Institutional Selves: Women Teachers 21 Chapter 2 Virtuous Selves: Housewives 44 PART II Glimpses into the ’80s: Individuality and Diversity 61 Chapter 3 Backstage Selves: Housewives 75 Chapter 4 Fulfilled Selves? Working Women 99 PART III Glimpses into the ’90s: Independent Selves Supporting Family 123 Chapter 5 Centrifugal Selves: Housewives 137 Chapter 6 Compassionate Selves: Women and Elder Care 160 Chapter 7 Selves Centered on Self: Young Single Women 182 Chapter 8 No Self, True Self, or Multiple Selves? 214 Conclusion 233 Notes 241 References 253 Index 267 vii Acknowledgments Acknowledgments go beyond the written word. My heart goes out in grat- itude to the many Japanese women who have given of themselves for my research. They have tried hard to help me understand their lives, hoping that the truths they have to tell would emerge. I humbly offer this book to them as one way of getting at least part of their stories across to Amer- ican readers. In the interests of confidentiality, I do not name the many participants in this book, but I express my thanks to them and my deep respect for the solutions that they bring to their personal struggles. I have had various mentors and guides in my odyssey in Japan. Special thanks go to Professor Nishigaki Masaru, Dr. Okamoto Hiroko, Kanaya Atsuko, Kojima Yoko, Maeda Hiroko, Ninomiya Yukari, Ogawaguchi Teruyo, Okada Satoko, Sarukawa Seikichi, Sarukawa Setsu, and Tanifuji Atsuko. They have helped me in meeting other people and in understand- ing what I heard. I am indebted to all of them, as well as to many others whom I do not list to maintain confidentiality. On this side of the Pacific I have had invaluable support. Monetarily, I have been aided by grants from Fulbright Hayes, the Mellon Founda- tion, the Northeast Asia Council of the Association for Asian Studies, and the Oregon State University Library. Thanks to the reviewers and editors who have helped me hone this book into its final product. Academic colleagues have given me important opportunities and advice, among them Jane Bachnik, Jack Bailey, Richard Beardsley, John Campbell, Vern Carroll, Scott Clark, Anne Imamura, William Kelly, Karen Kelsky, Takie Lebra, Margaret Lock, Susan Long, Brian Moeran, Emiko Ohnuki- Tierney, David Plath, Robert Smith, and Joseph Tobin. The members of the Department of Anthropology at Oregon State University (OSU) have given me ongoing support. I want to particularly acknowledge Joan Gross, ix
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