From: ra01+@andrew.cmu.edu (Rikiya Asano)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: brainwashed
Date: 28 Dec 92 23:02:21 GMT
	<1992Dec28.082137.10885@news.acns.nwu.edu>
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Ms. Radnor writes:

.

> 
>I'm rather saddened by this whole discussion.  Firstly, we hashed this out
>a long time ago, so it's tedious to restate everything again, which
>probubly explains why there have been so few intellegent postings.
> 
>secondly,  to claim that one culture is ahead or behind another assumes a
>evolutionary progession of improvement.  Whether we are better than our
>ancestors or people in other cultures is an impossible and predjudiced
>judgment.  Who is to say whether (and i'm playing devils advocate so don't
>flame me) the break down of the family unit that has resulted from the lack
>of a fulltime or main caregiver  in the rasining of children in this
>society has been benifical.  
> 
>Thirdly, you are falling into a trap that devalues peoples efforts in the
>private/domestic domain.  You are saying that to work in an office is more
>valuable than running a home or raising children.  
> 
>Japanese women when faced with these arguements (and I've done interviews
>on this so I'm not just citing literature but my own research as well) want
>to know why their american sisters want them to work in an office where
>there is always someone telling them what to do, rather than in the home
>where they are the boss, on the whole manage the familial accounts, have
>their husband's paychecks made out in the wife's name, and hand out an
>allouance to their husband.  In addition, Japanese wives see their role as
>creating the infrastracture without which non of the public domain could
>funciton. 
> 
>Before you bemone the position of others, try to stand in their shoes
>rather than judge them from your ideology (rather than your reality --
>please note we American woman are not as well off as we would like to
>believe.  Many of us must now burdon a double workload and receive little
>credit, others are held behind glass ceilings or unequal pay.).

I think that what Ms. Cheung has brought out is that Nippon as a
"social" society has a long way to go. I'm not a woman so I can only
give an opinion that is based on assumption. But, there are other things
that we Japanese must take care of. You memtioned children in the above
statement. Do you know what the suicide rate is for the ages of about
12-21 of Japanese youth?. It is a fact that Japanese society
"conditions" today's woman to be second. Let's say that it is your
choice to be a 'just' to be a homemaker. This is great! But, it's just
as great that for the woman who wants more individuality out of life to
be a corporate manager, CEO, Founder of Yamamoto Industries! Surely you
don't disagree with this. Some women want these things as well. If 'you'
want to be at home, depending on a man, I wish you luck! He's a good
man! But, a man is human
and somethings you have to do for yourself. Look at the American Woman! This
is who most of the Japanese Women try to imitate. They try to get their
skin as close to 'white' as possible. Get you eyes 'fixed'! I also used
to think that
'cleanliness was next to Godliness' and 'the color white represents purity'
these are fictiousion. Bore out of the mind of selfish, unlearned man. There
is a lot that Nippon has to solve. I have the confidence that Japanese
can do it! 

      Furthermore, I'm especially troubled by your statement, "In
addition, Japanese wives see their role as creating the infrastracture
without which non of the public domain could funciton." This is a big
Statement. You see, you are
stating this in a 'Positive' naivete. 'Hopefully, the reader will assume
all of the good stuff'. But, we know better if we think about history
and the attitudes, morales of today's youth in our culture. I agree with
Mr. Hiraga, in part, yours are pleasant, sound good and all that. But,
these is a lot more to be desired.