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bgsu1302197506.pdf (747.68 KB)
ETD Abstract Container
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Marriage in Japan: attitudes, intentions, and perceived barriers
Author Info
Kawamura, Sayaka
Permalink:
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1302197506
Abstract Details
Year and Degree
2011, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, Sociology.
Abstract
The average age at first marriage in Japan has been increasing over the decades, and is now one of the highest in the world at 29 years old for women and 30 years old for men in 2008 (Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2009). Later marriages accelerate the declining total fertility rate in Japan (Klitsch, 1994) due to the rarity of nonmarital childbearing (Rindfuss, Choe, Bumpass, & Tsuya, 2004). Using data from the Japan 2000 National Survey on Family and Economic Conditions (Tsuya, Bumpass, & Rindfuss, 2008, N = 4,482), this study explored the views of Japanese young adults on marriage and family. First, I investigated never married individuals’ attitudes toward marriage and childbearing. I found that Japanese singles generally did not strongly believe in the centrality of marriage in life nor did they perceive strong connections between marriage and childbearing. Nevertheless, single women tended to have less traditional attitudes toward various aspects of marriage and childbearing, relative to single men. Second, marriage intentions among both men and women were examined, and Japanese singles expressed relatively strong marriage intentions. Notably, women had stronger marriage intentions than men. Finally, I investigated gender differences in perceived barriers to marriage, particularly in the domains of (1) economic resources, (2) agreement on wives’ employment, (3) pressure to have a child soon after marriage, and (4) pressure to co-reside or to have close relationships with parents-in-law. Women were more likely than men to view economic resources, agreement on wives’ employment, and pressure to live with or have close relationships with in-laws as barriers to marriage. Japanese young adults did not strongly view pressure to have a child soon after marriage as a barrier to marriage. The results from this research contribute to new information on Japanese individuals’ views on marriage and family and may assist policymakers in encouraging young adults to marry earlier, which in turn should slow the decline of the total fertility rate.
Committee
Susan L. Brown, PhD (Committee Chair)
Steve Lab, PhD (Committee Member)
Franklin Goza, PhD (Committee Member)
I-Fen Lin, PhD (Committee Member)
Kei Nomaguchi, PhD (Committee Member)
Subject Headings
Sociology
Keywords
marriage
;
family
;
Japan
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Citations
Kawamura, S. (2011).
Marriage in Japan: attitudes, intentions, and perceived barriers
[Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1302197506
APA Style (7th edition)
Kawamura, Sayaka.
Marriage in Japan: attitudes, intentions, and perceived barriers.
2011. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation.
OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center
, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1302197506.
MLA Style (8th edition)
Kawamura, Sayaka. "Marriage in Japan: attitudes, intentions, and perceived barriers." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1302197506
Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)
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Document number:
bgsu1302197506
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Copyright Info
© 2011, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.