City University of Hong Kong Dep
Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics
Research Seminar
Beyond Parasites and Loser Dogs: Unmarried Women and the Family in Japan
Presented by
Dr. Lynne Nakano
Department of Japanese Studies
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Date: 20 March 2009, Friday
Time: 6:30 – 8:00pm
Venue: B5208 (5/F, Blue Zone), Academic Building, CityU
Language: English
Abstract
Women in Japan are marrying ever later in life. Approximately 25% of women between the ages of 30 to 34 were unmarried according to the latest Japanese census. Until recently it was assumed that these women were merely delaying marriage and that they would eventually find meaning in life by marrying and caring for a family. As these women reach their thirties and forties, however, it is becoming apparent that significant numbers of women will remain single for much of their lives if not their entire lives. This talk explores how these unmarried women view their lives. What do they value and how do they create relationships of intimacy and security outside of families? The talk will also compare the experiences of women in Tokyo with women in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Abstract
Lynne Nakano is Associate Professor in the Department of Japanese Studies, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her current research explores the lives of unmarried women in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai. Nakano received her Ph.D. from Yale University in anthropology and is author of the book, Community Volunteers in Japan: Everyday Stories of Social Change (2005).