Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyororin
I think this is the big difference. A dedicated caretaker and stay-at-home parent is given value, and quite a lot at that. A good parent is a highly valued part of the community, and not someone told to stay at home and slave away. They RUN the home, the neighborhood, etc. It`s not like being discarded out of a workforce - it`s just another path. As you say, parenting is hard work. Producing productive children for the future is something which a lot of value is placed upon in Japan. The attitude of a lot of women when they are staying home is that the husband is out working FOR her benefit - he works at her command and brings the money home to her in return for a place to sleep and food - because she is busy with the truly important things... Like raising children (the future) and maintaining the "real" world outside of a company`s walls. Men are valued for their ability to create money - and that is the main thing. Women have power over what happens with that money and with the future via their children.
It really is a difference in culture. I`m sure I would feel differently if not making money were thought of as inferior.
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I've heard of that difference between Japan and the USA. In Japan, taking care of a home is strongly valued. We're in an economy-run, international society now, however. I don't have an article to point to, but it's my feeling that - if Japan also puts value on economy - then, economically, there will be more value put on the main breadwinner. Not necessarily culturally, no. That, like you said, is a difference between Japan and the USA. Still, I don't know if many will be happy if they have their cultural kudos while they're homeless and impoverished because they've divorced their partner, and they weren't fairly rewarded.
Again, that's just speculation. I haven't read anything about people losing out once they've divorced their partners. But that's an opinion I'm making based on the fact that internationally, Japan seems to be an economic society, where value is placed on the money.