Nemoto, Kumiko. 2008. “Postponed Marriage: Exploring Women’s Views of Matrimony and Work in Japan.” Gender and Society Vol 22(2): 219-237.
Sociologists have argued that marriage today is based on individual desires, democratic contracts, and self-development. However, feminist scholars have criticized such a view of modern marriage, arguing that it obscures persistent inequality and social restrictions in marriage. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 26 highly educated Japanese women, this article argues that persistent gender inequalities shape women’s decisions to postpone marriage in Japan. The article analyzes the emotional ambivalence and contradictions in women’s decisions to postpone marriage. The women discussed have intentionally or unintentionally distanced themselves from (1) marriage in general, which they view as inhibiting autonomy, (2) marriage with a sexist man, (3) marriage with a man who has rejected them, and (4) marriage with a man who has less income and/or education than they do. This article states it clearly that it is gender inequality that let women be waryof marriage. They want gender equality which none of the institutions are set up to provide. Therefore, they have to fashion up their individual solutions.
不少社会学认为，现如今，越来越多的婚姻是建立在个人意愿、民主的沟通和自我发展的基础之上。女性主义学者却认为，这样的一种现代婚姻观点回避了长期存在于婚姻内部的不公平和由此带来的限制。通过采访26位高学历的日本未婚女性，作者提出长期存在的性别不平等导致了这一群体女性不得不推迟结婚或者不选择结婚。文章主要分析了这些女性在面对婚姻市场时情绪上所面对的矛盾和冲突。虽然，被访谈的女性都希望结婚和有孩子，但是她们都有意或者无意地回避：第一、妨碍她们个人自主性的婚姻；第二、性别观念很传统的男性；第三、与拒绝过她们的男性结婚；第四、收入或者教育水平比她们低的男性。在文章最后，作者指出，受过高学历的女性往往追求性别平等，但是这个在当今日本社会无法被实现。在这些现实的压力之下，她们不得不用个人的办法来解决这些冲突矛盾。