Synopses & Reviews
This revised edition has been updated to cover developments in the five years since the first edition was published. Yoshio Sugimoto challenges the traditional notion that Japan is an homogeneous society with few cultural and social disparities.
Review
"Accolades to Yoshio Sugimoto for his latest contribution to contemporary literature on Japan...which is wide-ranging, thought-provoking and comprehensive. Although it is written as a students' text, it will be valuable to both students and teachers." Asian Studies Review
Review
"Accolades to Yoshio Sugimoto for his latest contribution to contemporary literature on Japan...which is wide-ranging, thought-provoking and comprehensive. Although it is written as a students' text, it will be valuable to both students and teachers." Asian Studies Review
Synopsis
In a second edition of his book which has become essential reading for students of Japanese society, Yoshio Sugimoto updates his original narrative. In so doing he challenges the notion that Japan comprises a uniform culture, and draws attention to its subcultural diversity. The author also examines what he calls âfriendly authoritarianismâ- the Japanese tendency to be ostensibly faithful to particular groups and companies. The book offers a wide-ranging approach to Japanese society, with chapters on class, geographical and generational variation, work, education, gender, minorities, and popular culture.
Synopsis
In a second edition of his book which has become essential reading for students of Japanese society, Yoshio Sugimoto updates his original narrative. In so doing he challenges the notion that Japan comprises a uniform culture, and draws attention to its subcultural diversity. The author also examines what he calls 'friendly authoritarianism' - the Japanese tendency to be ostensibly faithful to particular groups and companies. The book offers a wide-ranging approach to Japanese society, with chapters on class, geographical and generational variation, work, education, gender, minorities, and popular culture.
Synopsis
This insightful and highly accessible book examines contemporary Japanese society. Covering a broad range of issues, Sugimoto comprehensively challenges the dominant view that Japanese society is characterised by 'groupism and homogeneity'. This is an essential general introduction to Japan.
About the Author
Yoshio Sugimoto is Professor of Sociology at La Trobe University, Melbourne. His publications include Japanese Encounters with Postmodernity (co-edited with Johann Arnason, 1995).
Table of Contents
1. The Japan Phenomenon and the Social Sciences; 2. Class and Stratification: an Overview; 3. Geographical and Generational Variations; 4. Varieties in Work and Labor; 5. Diversity and Unity in Education; 6. Gender Stratification and the Family System; 7. Minority Groups: Ethnicity and Discrimination; 8. Collusion and Competition in the Establishment; 9. Popular Culture and Everyday Life; 10. Friendly Authoritarianism