Title: The too-good wife
Description: Social drinking is an accepted aspect of working life in Japan, and women are left to manage their drunken husbands when the men return home, restoring them to sobriety for the next day of work. In attempting to cope with their husbands' alcoholism, the women face a profound cultural dilemma: when does the nurturing behavior expected of a good wife and mother become part of a pattern of behavior that is actually destructive? How does the celebration of nurturance and dependency mask the exploitative aspects not just of family life but also of public life in Japan?
Subjects: Alcoholics, Alcoholics' spouses, Codependency, Family relationships, Parents of drug addicts, Sex role, Social work with women, Wives, Alcoholics, family relationships
Places: Japan, Tokyo