2015 Volume 12 Pages 71-88
This study examined how Japanese expatriate wives built their personal networks while living in Shanghai, China. From semi-structured interviews with 21 Japanese expatriate wives living in Shanghai, this study revealed that there were three different types of personal networks among them: Type I tended to build personal networks among their neighbors living in the same apartment and receive various kinds of support from them as well as emotional support from their husband. Type II tried to select their network members from the wives of their husband’s colleagues or the mothers of their children’s classmates. They also received emotional support from their husband. Type III built their networks similar to Type II; however, they couldn’t gain any support from their husband. The members of these Japanese expatriate wives’ personal networks were mostly other Japanese expatriate wives who were living in the same city. However, they could still adjust their personal networks by choosing the members they wanted and the support they would receive. All these results were discussed in the framework of Fischer’s subcultural theory.
