studying for midterm 2 yeee Flashcards
Shushoku Katzudo
a life stage and process where graduates search for a career-track job for life; slowly eroding
Furitta
youth who haven’t sucesfully completed shushoku katzudo, and don’t have a career track job (though they likely have another job)
Yakuza
The definitive japanese criminal gang, and a key part of the anti-social forces, distinguished by a unique culture including extensive tatoos
anti-social forces
Government classification for ‘deviant’ groups, including Yakuza, bikers, cults, etc.
how has the perspective of youth in gangs changed?
they used to be seen as pretty typical dumb teens; now they’re more and more seen as future crime lords
What did the 90s recession do to careers?
its harder to find jobs; previously, highschool graduates were nearly assured a stable job; now, its hard to find one as a uni student
what is the state of lifetime employment in modern day Japan?
it has been basically eliminated; even at its peak, only 30% of the pop. actually had it
How are young employees at big Japanese Corporations treated?
They’re generally seen as lazy fucks by older workers with seniority. The remnants of lifetime employment mean they’re generally compensated poorly, and given little respect, even relative to their parents when they were young
3 commonly given reasons for the increase in the number of furitta (this is in a subjective, not necissarily objective, sense);
- spoiled kids living w parents
- hoarding of resources by the elderly
- abhorrence of the authoritarian-corporate lives of their elders
Is it better to be a furitta or salary’man’?
furitta are happier; however, long term it is unclear. it depends if japan continues to move farther away from the lifetime employment system
bubble generation
a generation referring to those born in the 60sish, and coming of age in the 80sish, right b4 the economic collapse in the 90sish
habitus
embodied cultural competence; you are shaped in a relatively deep way to perform in a specific cultural context, n it shows
Sogoshoku
professional career track work, gendered male
Ippanshoku
low level support-based clerical work, gendered female
what generation was hit the hardest by the 90s crash?
the bubble generation; they were raised to expect stable, high benefit jobs, and entered the workforce just in time not to recieve them
What is the difference between working for a umbrella company and a subsidiary company?
umbrella company workers have high status, and since the company is widely recognized it tries to keep a good (n typiclaly woke) image. subsidary companies have no issue treating workers like shit, since the real ppl in power are somewhat shielded from consuquences
Konbini
japanese convenience store
third-place
primary place of social interaction outside of work n home
when do we see the first seperation between home and work?
during the meijji period, a small (but significant) number of people started working in dedicated workplaces, as proletarians, clerks, and soldiers
how can you describe the hegemonic idea of the worker-company relation in postwar Japan?
it was based on the idea of work as family; you worked for life; it was somewhat corporatist (u dont need
real unions cuz CEO bigbucks love you <3). however, hegemonic doesn’t mean this was the reality for all workers
why lifetime employment?
among other reasons;
1. business was booming which made it possible
2. techniques & skills were very company specific, and it took a long time to train new workers
office lady
post-war feminized labor for educated women; given significant respect, but not a career track job; expected to eventually transition into homemakin
how were shufu’s treated in comparison to american counterparts?
they were seen as more important, and effectively having a career as a homemaker, unlike american housewives
what was the tendency for work in the 90s n 00s?
erosion of lifetime employment for more temp & contract work, and refocusing from seniority to merit-based advancment
what is inefficient about the uber-rational konbini?
lots of wasted food
why do chains force franchisees to keep huge stocks that will likely be wasted?
franchises worry this would reduce profits. there’s a variety of reasons, but chiefly franchises are more worried about their brand image, and make franchisees pay for wasted food
what kind of habitus allows one to prosper as a konbini owner?
it seems that those from commericial families with small businesses do better. ex-white collar workers often struggle
modern parallels to the family firms?
dark firms. in a nutshell, they treat you like shit but still demand your entire soul
how is maturity different in Japan?
independence is seen as less important, becuz they believe in interdependence; instead, social skills and following through on obligations is seen as adulting
in post-war japan, what is expected of a middle-aged man?
to be a dedicated salaryman manager with significant power
what new developments in retirement are emerging?
the government is trying to push them higher and higher,
what is a wet leave?
a retired workaholic salaryman who sticks around his wife because she has more of a social life than him
how did confucian filial piety translate into the post-war years of the breadwinner/homemaker binary?
it was mostly the daughter in law who carried the burden of caring for her husbands parents
what is the paradox of being a caregiver in postwar japan?
one child often expected to be the chief caregiver, but the law mandates equal inheritance, leaving them feeling unappreciated/uncompensated
how have caregivers changed as we move into more recent times?
there’s much more diversity in who is doing the caregiving; no longer is it just the stem heir; often it is a younger spouse (wife probly), a male relative, or a professional
