JAPAN'S FAMILY/HOUSEHOLD PATTERNS

By Suzanne Tatikian

General Characteristics of Agricultural, Industrial, and Information Age Family/Household Patterns

Agricultural Age Family/Household Patterns:

Extended family: several generations living and working together on the land.
Industrial Age Family/Household Patterns:

Nuclear family: father working, mother at home not working, and approximately two children--for middle and upper classes in developed West. Also nuclear family in lower class West and socilalist countries--except that women worked.
Information Age Family/Household Patterns:

Multiple family patterns: no one model everyone must follow to be socially accepted. Examples include: married couples with or oithout children; unmarried couples living together; single parents; divorced parents with children who remarry, making children part of different households; single-person households; people living in groups; gay and lesbian couples; etc.

Information/Data on Japanese Family/Household Patterns

Japan has had a history of stressing ithe importance of the "continuing family before the individual. It was expected that the eldest son inherit the position of head of the house. Continuity was of paramount importance and other arrangements, such as adoption, would be made if no sons had been borne. The rest of the children were expected to leave on marriage, girls to other howses, younger sons either to set up branch houses or to a house with no son as an adopted head. It was important that a bride or an adopted son fit into the existing ie, because if they failed to do so, they would simply be returned. In modern Japan, the continuing of family is still important, but things have been modified significantly. The absolute authority of the head of the house is over, and since since children now choose their future occupations freely, less is made of an eldest son as the potential successor. Women are still the prime caretakers, and much of the time give up their careers to take on childrearing as a fulltime job. However more Japanese women now have a career and a family. The Japanese word for child-rearing is shitsuke, a word also used for tacking a kimono into shape and teasing rice seedlings into an upright position. Childrearing is considered by the Japanese to be extremely important. The Japanese believe that a 3 year old develops the same soul he has when he is 100, so efforts should be made to mould that soul from the very beginning. Children are thought to be basically good, so with care and encouragement they should grow up to behave in an acceptable manner. Children are taught that the home(uchi) is a symbol of cleanliness and security, and that the outside world(soto) is associated with dirt and danger. over 70% of elderly people, live with their children,compared with less than 25% in many Western countries.

Conclusions on Japan (Whether Primarily Agricultural, Industrial, or Information Age Re: Its Family/Household Patterns)

Japan is primarily information Age based as far aas their family structure. Children are raised to work hard, take education seriously, and know that they can be what they want in life as long as they work hard. Also 70% of elderly people live with their family.

Additional Online Sources on Japan's Family/Household Patterns

Reproductive Technology
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Traditional Bibliographic Sources on Japan's Family/ Household Patterns

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF JAPAN, The Cambridge Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1995 edition.
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