Edited volume from 2000 Abe Fellow Frances Rosenbluth.

This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to one of Japan’s thorniest public policy issues: why are women increasingly forgoing motherhood? At the heart of the matter lies a paradox: although the overall trend among rich countries is for fertility to decrease as female labor participation increases, gender-friendly countries resist the trend. Conversely, gender-unfriendly countries have lower fertility rates than they would have if they changed their labor markets to encourage the hiring of women—and therein lies Japan’s problem. The authors argue that the combination of an inhospitable labor market for women and insufficient support for childcare pushes women toward working harder to promote their careers, to the detriment of childbearing. Controversial and enlightening, this book provides policy recommendations for solving not just Japan’s fertility issue but those of other modern democracies facing a similar crisis.

Publication Details

Title
The Political Economy of Japan’s Low Fertility
Authors
Rosenbluth, Frances
Publisher
Stanford University / Stanford University Press
Publish Date
December 2006
ISBN
9780804754866
Citation
Rosenbluth, Frances, The Political Economy of Japan's Low Fertility (Stanford University / Stanford University Press, December 2006).
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