Women and Work in Japan

Spring 2006 : January 12 - April 27, 2006
Class meets Tues & Thurs, 3:30 - 4:45pm
Location: 307 Dey Hall
UNC Chapel Hill

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Professor Jan Bardsley
Department of Asian Studies
401 Alumni Building
Office hours: W 1-3pm & by appt
Tel: 919-962-1534
Fax: 919-843-7817
bardsley@email.unc.edu
BlackBoard

What is this course about?

This course examines expectations for women in Japan, as well as challenges to these expectations, by exploring various aspects of "women's work."  We begin by considering a unique job, the position of Crown Princess of Japan now held by the former diplomat Owada Masako, and discuss what implications her job description has for young women in Japan as a whole.  We continue by reading research on women working in ordinary jobs in offices, factories, homes, and in politics and the media. Along the way, we dip into fictional accounts of working women, too.  We will also consider how ideas of "women's work" have been shaped by Japanese law, by United Nations initiatives, by representations in film and television, and even by popular cartoons.  Presentations by guest speakers will provide us current perspectives on the broad topic of women working.


Our task in this class will be to consider how facts, ideas, and ideals combine to form narratives of a Japanese woman's expected life course.  We can divide these expectations in terms of questions such as?
  •  What should her girlhood look like, and how should it prepare her for adulthood?
  •  How and when will romance figure in her life? 
  • What kind of mother should she be, and how should her mothering prepare children to become happy, productive, and Japanese? 
  • How will aging affect her life course, and her responsibilities to care for others? 
  • What place should paid employment, volunteerism, and political activism take in her life?
  • What kinds of leisure activities are deemed appropriate?
  •  We also need to ask what happens to this narrative of the expected life course when women decide to rewrite the common story by, for example, remaining single, living abroad, forming a different kind of family, or taking no interest in work at all.  Are such women portrayed as admirable new role models, as unusual individuals, or as somehow not even Japanese at all?

Who is the instructor?

Jan Bardsley: I first taught "Women and Work in Japan" in 1997 to students at the Japan Center for Michigan Universities Hikone, a small city in western Japan about one hour from Kyoto. We read academic studies in English and talked about all kinds of work with several Japanese women and women from other countries living in Japan.  I found the subject fascinating and have been teaching the course at Carolina since 1998. I try to keep the class fresh by using different texts from year to year. The class also relates to my research topics of Japanese feminism, women's rights pioneers, and Japan's icons of femininity--princesses, pageant winners, and brand shoppers.  

I am graduate of UC Davis (Dramatic Art) and UCLA (East Asian Languages and Cultures) and have been a Tar Heel since 1994, teaching in the Department of Asian Studies.  In the summers of 2003 and 2005, I accompanied UNC-CH students to Kyoto, where I taught a course in Japanese theater. This summer some of us attended a music rehearsal and dance performance by maiko and geisha in Kyoto--the highlight of the trip for me.

Most days you can find me in my office on the 4th floor of the Alumni Building (next to Graham Memorial). You are welcome to drop in anytime I'm free though it is best to make an appointment for longer consultations. I also will stay in the classroom after class and would enjoy talking with you then.

How could this course be useful for me?

  • You will:
    •              (1) learn to read a variety of materials from different disciplines to explore a single, broad topic; 
                 (2) enhance your ability to design and execute a research plan; 
                 (3) get practice in discussing your views on readings with others in the class
                 (3) understand how current scholarship on Japan takes account of gender issues. 
  • No background knowledge of Japan or literary studies is required.

What will I have learned by the end of this class?

  • Knowledge of the Issues:  By the end of this course, you will be able to discuss women and work in Japan from many different perspectives
  • Critical Reading Skills:  You will have improved your ability to read academic works in the context of an investigation of one major topic. You will also have learned strategies for approaching theoretical works that are useful but not always reader friendly.
  • Writing and Research Skills:  By writing short assignments and one research paper over the course of the semester, you will have enhanced your ability to develop and argue a position, and to design your own research plan in consultation with the instructor. You will also learn new techniques for doing bibliographic searches through Davis library.

    • What books should I buy?

    All books are available in paperback in the textbook section of the UNC bookstore.  These are required readings.
    • Ariyoshi Sawako. Hironaka Wakako and Ann Siller Kostant, trans. The Doctor's Wife. Kodansha International, 1978.
    • Amy Borovoy. The Too-Good Wife: Alcohol, Codependency, and the Politics of Nurturance in Postwar Japan. University of California Press, 2005.
    • Kirino Natsu. Stephen Snyder, trans. Out. Vintage International, 2003.
    • Masuda Sayo. G.G. Rowley, trans.  Autobiography of a Geisha. Columbia University Press, 2003. 
    • Laura Miller and Jan Bardsley, eds. Bad Girls of Japan. Palgrave, 2005.
    • Yuko Ogasawara. Office Ladies and Salaried Men: Power, Gender and Work in Japanese Companies. University of California Press, 1998.
    • Amy McCreedy Thernstrom, ed.  Japanese Women: Lineage and Legacies. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2005. Available online.

    What else do I need to read?

  •    All other readings are listed on the class schedule.  Additional articles will be available to you on the course BlackBoard site.
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    How do I contribute to this class and how will I be graded?
     Participation
      5%
    • Everyone is allowed one absence.  This covers illness, family emergency, and any other event that might unexpectedly come up, and any other personal time you need to take.  Please notify the instructor by phone or email if you cannot attend class. Unless there is a medical emergency, three or more absences will count against your grade.
    • To get attendance credit, you must be present during the entire class meeting. 
    • Every student must attend two campus events this semester related to Asian Studies or Women's Studies.  These can include lectures, performances, and films.  You will turn in a  one-page description of each event; see course schedule for due dates.
    • Expect to be called on in class.
    • You have a vital role to play in determining the success of this course. Be prompt. Come prepared with day's assignment. Be ready to work.
    Midterm Examination
    20%
    • Exams serve a useful purpose in pushing us to organize material and commit it to memory. In the process of doing this, we develop new ideas about the topic.  The in-class midterm will occur midway through the course.  You will be given study guidelines one week before the exam.
    Analytical Papers
    2 x 10=20%
    • You will write two three-page (750 words) papers.  These papers will give you a chance to respond to readings and to develop your own perspective on the issues they examine.  See the course schedule for due dates.
    • IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SAVING WRITTEN WORK:  I expect you to back-up all your written work in some manner. You should save all work written for this class until you receive your final grade.
    Annotated Bibliography
     25%
    • The eight-page annotated bibliography  provides you the opportunity to investigate one aspect of this course in more detail, and to research and consider the literature available on a topic of your choice.
    • Your bibliography will focus on a single topic related to some aspect of this course. All topics need instructor approval. Possible topics might include: a specific line of work (OL, executive, actress, astronaut,etc); media directed toward women or about women; aspects of life course (marriage, divorce,old age, motherhood).
    • Once you have chosen a topic, you will write a paragraph with a description of your topic, potential sources, and an idea of what you hope to find in the literature; turn that in to Professor Bardsley to get further advice on pursuing the project.
    • Your bibliography should include at least one book; four academic journal articles; four newspaper or magazine articles; and two websites related to your topic. 
    • Your bibliography should consist of six pages of annotation and a two-page overview of the literature reviewed.
    • Your bibliography will be graded on the thoroughness of the research, accuracy of citation, the quality of your annotations and the thoughtfulness of your overview.
    Oral Presentation
    10%
    • This assignment gives you an opportunity to present the research you did in compiling your annotated bibliography.
    • Presentations need to be well-organized, show a good use of time, be visually interesting, and employ PowerPoint slides.  Rehearse!
    Final Examination
    20%
    • The final examination will be held in the classroom on Tuesday, May 2, 2006, 4:00-6:00pm.  Please bring a blue book.  The take-home portion of the exam will ask you to synthesize what you have learned about women and work in Japan throughout the semester. The short in-class exam will test your factual knowledge of selected readings.  You will receive the take-home question and a study guide to the final on Tuesday, April 25th in class. Final grades should be posted by Friday, May 5, 2006.


    Honor Code and Grades

    It is understood that all members of this class pledge to uphold the honor code of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in all work completed for this course.  If you have questions about the Honor Code's application in this class, it is your responsibility to ask me. Become familiar with the terms of the Honor Code set out at http://instrument.unc.edu.  All exams, written work, and other projects must be submitted with a statement that you have complied with the requirements of the Honor Code in all aspects of the submitted work.

    In giving grades, I follow the definitions listed online in 2005-2006 UNC Chapel Hill Undergraduate Catalogue. I copy them here for your information.

    Permanent grades are defined as follows:

    A Mastery of course content at the highest level of attainment that can reasonably be expected of students at a given stage of development. The A grade states clearly that the student has shown such outstanding promise in the aspect of the discipline under study that he/she may be strongly encouraged to continue.

    B Strong performance demonstrating a high level of attainment for a student at a given stage of development. The B grade states that the student has shown solid promise in the aspect of the discipline under study.

    C A totally acceptable performance demonstrating an adequate level of attainment for a student at a given stage of development. The C grade states that while not yet showing any unusual promise, the student may continue to study in the discipline with reasonable hope of intellectual development.

    D A marginal performance in the required exercises demonstrating a minimal passing level of attainment for a student at a given stage of development. The D grade states that the student has given no evidence of prospective growth in the discipline; an accumulation of D grades should be taken to mean that the student would be well advised not to continue in the academic field.

    F For whatever reasons, an unacceptable performance. The F grade indicates that the student's performance in the required exercises has revealed almost no understanding of the course content. A grade of F should warrant an adviser's questioning whether the student may suitably register for further study in the discipline before remedial work is undertaken.