Immigration, Women, and Japan—A Leap Ahead and a Step Behind

Stéphanie Paillard-Borg,Jessica Holmgren

doi:10.1177/2158244016673129

Abstract

Japan has become a super-aged society, facing demographic challenges resulting in societal and economic consequences. In its political structural reform, the Japanese government presented the urgency to consider the increase in labor mobility that includes the issues of immigration and female employment, both domestic and foreign. The aim of this study was to explore, from a Japanese woman’s perspective, the intertwined issues of immigration. An in-depth interview was performed and analyzed by content analysis with a methodological departure in qualitative journalistic interviewing. The case was a Japanese woman with a unique profile. The results of this study, family permanency and group cohesiveness, can contribute to understand the potential interdependency between the roles, within the Japanese society, of foreign female domestic workers and Japanese women. In conclusion, it appears that the pivotal role of women in the Japanese society and the global feminization of migration challenge Japanese social consistency.

Highlights

This study is part of a larger project called Women’s Voices in a Shifting Global Health Landscape
In this case study with a qualitative journalistic approach, two main themes, family permanency and group cohesiveness, and six subthemes presented below were identified
The pivotal role of women in societies and the global feminization of migration emerge as the most important points based on the main findings of this study, family permanency and group cohesiveness

Summary

Introduction

This study is part of a larger project called Women’s Voices in a Shifting Global Health Landscape. The purpose of the present study is to develop a preliminary and overall understanding of the topic in the Japanese context as the country is facing simultaneously major demographic challenges such as becoming a super-aged society and facing the lowest fertility rate in the world. It implies multiple societal, health, and economic consequences (Münz, 2008)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion