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12-13-2010, 05:39 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by RealJames View Post
According to my gf, women just wanted to work alongside men, and that "Japanese people don't really think of working hours the same way westerners do". Women just wanted to have what they didn't have at the time (the grass is greener on the other side 隣の芝は青い), and now that they have it and it's commonplace, it's not so attractive a prospect.
She also says that seeing western women becoming more assertive in the workplace was also a motivation to Japanese women.
I'm kind of mediating this idea, my scope of knowledge isn't as broad as hers so I ask her lol.
It is interesting, and I hope other people comment on it.

Why did women want to work alongside men? Men had no time off, spent only a few hours a day at home, were forced to go out drinking with their bosses on a nightly basis, and smoked, drank and stressed themselves to early graves.

What I understand is that marriage was seen as essentially a door closing that would never be opened again. Many women were happy being home-makers and stay-at-home moms, but some women began asking "What if?"

What if I could study abroad and come back and make a career out of that? What if I could find success doing something I loved? Am I ready for my single life and freedom to end?

I am curious as to where they were seeing western women in the workplace, and how that became an inspiration.
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