Population Decline and Ageing in Japan - The Social Consequences / Edition 1

by Florian Coulmas

Overview

This book presents a comprehensive analysis of one of the most pressing challenges facing Japan today: population decline and ageing.

It argues that social ageing is a phenomenon that follows in the wake of industrialization, urbanization and social modernization, bringing about changes in values, institutions, social structures, economic activity, technology and culture, and posing many challenges for the countries affected. Focusing on the experience of Japan, the author explores:

• how Japan has recognized the emerging problems relatively early because during the past half century population ageing has been more rapid in Japan than in any other country
• how all of Japanese society is affected by social ageing, not just certain substructures and institutions, and explains its complex causes, describes the resulting challenges and analyses the solutions under consideration to deal with it
• the nature of Japan’s population dynamics since 1920, and argues that Japan is rapidly moving in the direction of a ‘hyperaged society’ in which those sixty-five or older account for twenty-five per cent of the total population
• the implications for family structures and other social networks, gender roles and employment patterns, health care and welfare provision, pension systems, immigration policy, consumer and voting behaviour and the cultural reactions and ramifications of social ageing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415480116
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/31/2008
Series:	Routledge Contemporary Japan Series , #16
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Florian Coulmas is Director of the German Institute for Japanese Studies, Tokyo, Japan. He also holds the chair of Japanese studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen. He has published widely on Japanese society and culture, and his publications, in English, German and Japanese, include several monographs, two textbooks, dictionaries and an encyclopaedia.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations vi

A note on names and transcription viii

1 Facts and discourses 1

2 The problem of generations and the structure of society 17

3 Social networks 26

4 The lonely child 37

5 Women and men at work 50

6 The socialization of care 62

7 'Mature' customers 73

8 Longevity risk and pension funds 85

9 Government of the elderly, by the elderly and for the elderly 94

10 Limits to ageing? 105

11 Immigrants welcome? 115

12 Population ageing and social change 125

Notes 139

References 148

Index 161

Editorial Reviews

'a thoughtful and stimulating analysis of Japan's hyper-aging society; a serious book about a critically important subject.' - Jeff Kingston, The Japan Times

From the Publisher