published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study of Japanese women scientists recognizes that their workplaces are those in which the traditional culture of Japan meets the practices of a modern scientific laboratory. In many ways, the two places, Japan and the laboratory, hold contradictory values. Which values will subsume which? Having asked this question, I have attempted to determine the implications of this clash of values for Japanese women working in science. 85 non-Japanese postdoctoral researchers working in Japan were asked their opinions about the distinct characteristics of Japanese laboratory practice, and 62 Japanese women in science in Japan and abroad were asked to comment on a variety of issues in relation to their situation. Results of this survey indicate that Japanese cultural values predominate in science practice in Japan. This predominance has implications both for the scientists and for scientific results. Japan's science laboratories are psychologically less cold than they otherwise might be, but the warm human connections helpful on a social level are in some ways inimical to getting scientific tasks done. The vertical social structure, moreover, means that women who leave scientific work temporarily to fulfill home duties may find it difficult to return to their workplaces later, when these duties become less pressing. Individual needs relating to role models, mentoring, family issues, and to the cultivation of critical thought and independent thinking appear to be the most pressing for women scientists. Implications are: Japan needs a method of allowing field-independent discussion without reference to considerations of rank, seniority, or age. The government of Japan can be supportive of women in science in various ways. For example, they can adjust the gendered division of labour in the scientific workplace and in the Japanese home to include both masculine and feminine participation at both sites. They can also compose a new governmental word descriptive of the present

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published_or_final_version / Asian Studies / Master / Master of Arts

Although traditional depictions of gender in ancient Japanese mythology continue to help define gender in Japanese culture, such recent litigation as the Equal Employment Opportunity Act and the Childcare Leave Act signal change in these roles. This study explores the relationship between the Japanese hierarchical social structure and the parameters of the gender territories of women and men in a university club. Employing a single case (embedded) design, this study utilized the networks of former members (students who began their studies from 1953 to 1989) of Oendan (the "Cheering Club") at a private university in central Japan. Oendan's two sections, Leader-bu for men and Cheerleader-bu for women, have utterly different atmospheres. Leader-bu stresses daily rigorous and physically punishing practices in a highly disciplined atmosphere, whereas Cheerleader-bu more closely resembles its North American counterpart. To fully examine the differences between the two sections, I divided the case into three stages: (a) an historical analysis, (b) a survey, and (c) personal interviews. The results reflect an attitude that a perceived difference in physical strength and a strong sense of "tradition" inhibit true equality between the genders. Although most men may acquiesce in gender equality in an abstract sense, they also understand that, in reality, this is impossible because of the physical differences between the sexes. Leader-bu members continue to reinforce the importance of tradition year after year because they believe that they are benefiting, both personally and socially, from traditional beliefs and customs. Although victims of this belief system, they feel compelled to reproduce it. In reproducing it, however, they also must suffer from the lack of freedom that accompanies it.

Although traditional depictions of gender in ancient Japanese mythology continue to help define gender in Japanese culture, such recent litigation as the Equal Employment Opportunity Act and the Childcare Leave Act signal change in these roles. This study explores the relationship between the Japanese hierarchical social structure and the parameters of the gender territories of women and men in a university club. Employing a single case (embedded) design, this study utilized the networks of former members (students who began their studies from 1953 to 1989) of Oendan (the "Cheering Club") at a private university in central Japan. Oendan's two sections, Leader-bu for men and Cheerleader-bu for women, have utterly different atmospheres. Leader-bu stresses daily rigorous and physically punishing practices in a highly disciplined atmosphere, whereas Cheerleader-bu more closely resembles its North American counterpart. To fully examine the differences between the two sections, I divided the case into three stages: (a) an historical analysis, (b) a survey, and (c) personal interviews. The results reflect an attitude that a perceived difference in physical strength and a strong sense of "tradition" inhibit true equality between the genders. Although most men may acquiesce in gender equality in an abstract sense, they also understand that, in reality, this is impossible because of the physical differences between the sexes. Leader-bu members continue to reinforce the importance of tradition year after year because they believe that they are benefiting, both personally and socially, from traditional beliefs and customs. Although victims of this belief system, they feel compelled to reproduce it. In reproducing it, however, they also must suffer from the lack of freedom that accompanies it. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate