The aim of this research was to determine ethnic and cultural influences on body composition, lifestyle, and aspects of body image (perception, acceptability, and satisfaction) of younger (age 18-40 years) Australian and Japanese males, the latter including groups living in Australia and Japan. The sample sizes of the three groups were 68 Japanese living in Australia, 84 Japanese living in Japan, and 72 Australian Caucasian males respectively. The methodology included body composition assessments (by anthropometry and DXA), lifestyle and body image questionnaires, and dietary records. The study found significant p<0.05) ethnic differences in the %BF at given BMI levels and for Japanese the BMI values of 23.6kg/m2 and 28.6kg/m2 were found to be equivalent to 25 and 30 for Caucasians when used to classify individuals as "overweight" and "obese". Equations in common use for the calculation of body composition in Japanese males were evaluated using modern methods of body composition assessment and found to need considerable modification. New regression equations that represent BMI-%BF relationships for Japanese and Australians were proposed: Japanese: Log %BF = -1.330 + 1.896(log BMI), (R2 = 0.547, SEE = 0.09); Australians: Log %BF = -1.522 + 2.001(log BMI), (R2 = 0.544, SEE = 0.10). Equations were also developed to predict %BF for Japanese and Australian males from body composition assessments using anthropometry and DXA: Japanese: %BF = 0.376 + 0.402(abdominal) + 0.772(medial calf) + 0.217(age), (R2 = 0.786, SEE = 2.69); Australians: %BF = 2.184 + 0.392(medial calf) + 0.678(supraspinale) + 0.467(triceps), (R2 = 0.864, SEE = 2.37). Lifestyle factors were found to influence perceptions of body image. / Australian males participate in physical activity more frequently than their Japanese counterparts (Australians = 98.6% involved in vigorous activity at least once per week, Japanese living in Japan = 85.7%, Japanese living in Australia = 72.1%). Significant differences p<0.05) in energy contribution patterns were found between the Japanese group (Protein: 14.4%, Carbohydrate: 50.4%, Fat: 28.1%) and Japanese living in Australia (JA: Protein: 16.3%, Carbohydrate: 47.3%, Fat: 32.3%) and the Australians (Protein: 17.1%, Carbohydrate: 47.9%, Fat: 30.6%). This shows that the Japanese living in Australia have adopted a more westemised diet than those living in Japan. Body Image assessments were done on all study groups using the Somatomorphic Matrix (SM) computer program and questionnaires, including the Ben-Tovim Walker Body Attitudes Questionnaires, (BAQ) the Attention to the Body Shape Scale (ABS), and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT). Japanese males tended to overestimate their weight and amount of body fat, while Australian Caucasian males underestimated these parameters. The Japanese groups had higher scores on the selfdisparagement subscale and lower scores on the strengths and the attractiveness subscales of the BAQ questionnaire than Australian males. Australian males also had higher scores on the EAT total score and the dieting subscale of the EAT questionnaire than Japanese males. When all groups of subjects selected their perceived body image from the SM program menu, these results had no relationship with measured body composition values, suggesting that further development of this program is needed for use in these populations.

This thesis investigates Japanese married men??s views on their wives?? employment and married women??s employment in general. I was inspired to undertake this study by the relatively low rate of wives, particularly mothers, in full-time employment in Japan. 291 Japanese husbands in Kawasaki and the Tokyo area answered the questionnaire. Their occupations were company employees, teachers and self-employed men and their ages ranged from the 20s to 50s. The results of my survey revealed that these Japanese husbands did not actively participate in housework and childcare. Their participation increased somewhat when wives were highly educated or older. However, a wife??s higher income was the most powerful incentive to encourage their participation. Husbands also participate in these tasks in accordance with their preferences rather than their expressed abilities. With respect to their views on married women and employment, many husbands acknowledged a general relationship between power and finance (that is, that income-earning is connected with domestic power), yet denied that it applied to themselves when asked about it. The majority showed supportive or sympathetic attitudes towards full-time housewives, which were rarely extended to employed wives except for those who work (part-time) due to clear financial necessity. Concerning men??s views on their wives, they were likely to appreciate a wife??s additional income. Nonetheless, a majority wanted their wives either to earn less than themselves or to have no income, even though the majority had income-earning wives. Their most popular employment status for a wife was part-time employment. The study revealed that most of these husbands had a strong identity as the ??breadwinner?? or ??head of the house??. In this study I explored a new dimension to Japanese husbands?? perceptions of their wives?? employment: the possibility that husbands?? attitudes and preferences were militating against their wives?? employment. My study demonstrated that husbands especially resist full-time employment for their wives, and seek to maintain traditional gender roles because this sustains their self-esteem. This is clearly one significant reason for the comparatively low rate of participation of Japanese wives in full-time employment.

This thesis investigates Japanese married men??s views on their wives?? employment and married women??s employment in general. I was inspired to undertake this study by the relatively low rate of wives, particularly mothers, in full-time employment in Japan. 291 Japanese husbands in Kawasaki and the Tokyo area answered the questionnaire. Their occupations were company employees, teachers and self-employed men and their ages ranged from the 20s to 50s. The results of my survey revealed that these Japanese husbands did not actively participate in housework and childcare. Their participation increased somewhat when wives were highly educated or older. However, a wife??s higher income was the most powerful incentive to encourage their participation. Husbands also participate in these tasks in accordance with their preferences rather than their expressed abilities. With respect to their views on married women and employment, many husbands acknowledged a general relationship between power and finance (that is, that income-earning is connected with domestic power), yet denied that it applied to themselves when asked about it. The majority showed supportive or sympathetic attitudes towards full-time housewives, which were rarely extended to employed wives except for those who work (part-time) due to clear financial necessity. Concerning men??s views on their wives, they were likely to appreciate a wife??s additional income. Nonetheless, a majority wanted their wives either to earn less than themselves or to have no income, even though the majority had income-earning wives. Their most popular employment status for a wife was part-time employment. The study revealed that most of these husbands had a strong identity as the ??breadwinner?? or ??head of the house??. In this study I explored a new dimension to Japanese husbands?? perceptions of their wives?? employment: the possibility that husbands?? attitudes and preferences were militating against their wives?? employment. My study demonstrated that husbands especially resist full-time employment for their wives, and seek to maintain traditional gender roles because this sustains their self-esteem. This is clearly one significant reason for the comparatively low rate of participation of Japanese wives in full-time employment.

Thesis (M.A.)--Columbia International University, 2004. / Abstrakt. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-131).

Thesis (M.A.)--Columbia International University, 2004. / Abstrakt. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-131).

This qualitative study focuses on Japanese immigrant men living in Stockholm to explore their perceptions of masculinities and gender ideas after migrating to Sweden. Although economically advanced, Sweden and Japan are polar opposites in terms of gender norms and gender relations. Through in-depth interviews with 12 Japanese men, this research aims to understand the role masculinities play in shaping the experiences of Japanese immigrants in Sweden. The research contributes to the literature on migration and gender through a focus on gender adaptations of high-skilled immigrants from an economically advanced country. Three main themes emerged in the analysis: 1) New gender roles and relationships, 2) From collectivism to individualism, 3) Changes in their working life. The results of this study underscore the diversity of the migration experiences and the importance of analyzing men’s migration experiences in a variety of contexts. Many of the participants felt that moving to Sweden had improved their quality of life by allowing them to escape the traditional gender norms that were required in Japan.