Abstract
This paper examines changes and increasing variations in marriage timing among several contemporary birth-cohorts in Japan. Data came from research applied to samples in two cities (Tokyo and Fukushima), for those born between the years of 1914 and 1958, and conducted by the project team for Social Change and Human Development (Waseda University) in 1988 and 1989. The results are : (1) In the 1954-58 birth-cohort of both sexes, a delay and increasing variations in marriage timing were observed. (2) For both sexes with higher academic backgrounds in the 1934-38 and the 1944-48 birth-cohorts, the age of first marriage was relatively high, but most in these groups had experienced their first marriage by a given point in time. (3) For females with higher academic backgrounds born after World War II, in the case of the 1954-58 birth-cohort, a delay and increasing variations in marriage timing were observed. This seems to indicate increasing alternatives of marital behavior for the members of that group. (4) For a portion of males with lower academic backgrounds in the younger cohorts, a delay of marriage timing was observed. This trend parallels growing competitiveness in the marriage market, which acts to the disadvantage of younger people with limited resources.
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