2021 Volume 33 Issue 2 Pages 212-222
This paper offers a critical analysis on the hypothesis that the modern family model, incorporating male breadwinners and housewives without jobs, that was extended nationwide has not been examined based on Japanese historical background after WWII. Taking into consideration that it is necessary to pay attention to the movement toward employment among married women during the period of rapid economic growth, this paper addresses the case of a textile industry district where married women continued working. Interview data of women weavers and schoolteachers in this district who did not leave their jobs, regardless of marriage, childbirth, and child rearing, will be used. Through examining the two types of working women above, this paper will clarify the influence of community norms concerning married women’s work. Finally, it will explore the way to recognize the meaning of work for these women by analyzing the handling of their income.
