IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/dem/demres/v36y2017i13.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Another work-family interface: Work characteristics and family intentions in Japan

Author

Listed:
  • Wei-hsin Yu

    (University of California, Los Angeles)

  • Janet Chen-Lan Kuo

    (National Taiwan University)

Abstract

Background: Previous research highlights the importance of job and workplace characteristics in the work‒family interface. Nevertheless, we know little about how the specific context of work is related to singles’ marriage and parenthood intentions. Objective: In this study we examine the links between work conditions and family intentions using a representative sample of never-married, childless adults in Japan, a country that is well known for rapid declines in marriage and fertility rates. Results: We find that, surprisingly, work characteristics conducive to less work‒family conflict are rarely associated with stronger desires to marry and have children. For never-married men in Japan, the job qualities most relevant to family intentions are those that imply a bright economic future. Job conditions with the potential for work‒family conflict can be positively related to the desire to marry and have children if they also indicate promising career prospects. Conversely, workplace sociability is highly relevant to women’s marriage and fertility intentions. Never-married women working in more collaborative and interactive environments seek potential marriage partners more actively, want to marry and become parents more, and have higher preferred numbers of children. We suggest that in more sociable workplaces, childless singles tend to be more exposed to earlier cohorts’ family experiences and beliefs and so become more interested in marriage and parenthood. Contribution: This study demonstrates that, in Japan, the work characteristics relevant to single men’s family intentions differ from those that are relevant to the equivalent intentions of single women. In particular, the finding that women working in more sociable environments desire marriage and children more adds to the literature emphasizing the influence of social relations on family decisions in advanced economies, as well as suggesting a new channel through which social relations shape ideas and plans about marriage and parenthood.

Suggested Citation

  • Wei-hsin Yu & Janet Chen-Lan Kuo, 2017. "Another work-family interface: Work characteristics and family intentions in Japan," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(13), pages 391-426.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:36:y:2017:i:13
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2017.36.13
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol36/13/36-13.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.4054/DemRes.2017.36.13?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peter McDonald, 2000. "Gender Equity in Theories of Fertility Transition," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 26(3), pages 427-439, September.
    2. Yu Xie & James Raymo & Kimberly Goyette & Arland Thornton, 2003. "Erratum to: “Economic Potential and Entry Into Marriage and Cohabitation”," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 40(2), pages 1-1, May.
    3. Sarah Hayford, 2009. "The evolution of fertility expectations over the life course," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 46(4), pages 765-783, November.
    4. Takashi Oshio & Kayo Nozaki & Miki Kobayashi, 2013. "Division of Household Labor and Marital Satisfaction in China, Japan, and Korea," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 211-223, June.
    5. Yuji Genda & Ayako Kondo & Souichi Ohta, 2010. "Long-Term Effects of a Recession at Labor Market Entry in Japan and the United States," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 45(1).
    6. Wei-hsin Yu & Janet Chen-Lan Kuo, 2016. "Explaining the Effect of Parent-Child Coresidence on Marriage Formation: The Case of Japan," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(5), pages 1283-1318, October.
    7. Yu Xie & James Raymo & Kimberl Goyette & Arland Thornton, 2003. "Economic potential and entry into marriage and cohabitation," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 40(2), pages 351-367, May.
    8. Katia Begall & Melinda Mills, 2011. "The Impact of Subjective Work Control, Job Strain and Work–Family Conflict on Fertility Intentions: a European Comparison [L’impact sur les intentions de fécondité de la perception subjective de co," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 27(4), pages 433-456, November.
    9. Francesca Fiori & Francesca Rinesi & Antonella Pinnelli & Sabrina Prati, 2013. "Economic Insecurity and the Fertility Intentions of Italian Women with One Child," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 32(3), pages 373-413, June.
    10. James Raymo, 2003. "Educational attainment and the transition to first marriage among Japanese women," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 40(1), pages 83-103, February.
    11. Yuji Genda, 2003. "Who Really Lost Jobs in Japan? Youth Employment in an Aging Japanese Society," NBER Chapters, in: Labor Markets and Firm Benefit Policies in Japan and the United States, pages 103-134, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Minja Kim Choe & Larry L. Bumpass & Noriko O. Tsuya & Ronald R. Rindfuss, 2014. "Nontraditional Family-Related Attitudes in Japan: Macro and Micro Determinants," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 40(2), pages 241-271, June.
    13. Valerie Oppenheimer & Matthijs Kalmijn & Nelson Lim, 1997. "Men’s career development and marriage timing during a period of rising inequality," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 34(3), pages 311-330, August.
    14. Valerie Oppenheimer, 2003. "Cohabiting and marriage during young men’s career-development process," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 40(1), pages 127-149, February.
    15. Gary S. Becker, 1981. "A Treatise on the Family," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number beck81-1.
    16. Nan Marie Astone & Constance A. Nathanson & Robert Schoen & Young J. Kim, 1999. "Family Demography, Social Theory, and Investment in Social Capital," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 25(1), pages 1-31, March.
    17. Alicia Adsera, 2011. "Where Are the Babies? Labor Market Conditions and Fertility in Europe [Où sont les bébés ? Conditions du marché du travail et fécondité en Europe]," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 27(1), pages 1-32, February.
    18. S. Philip Morgan & Heather Rackin, 2010. "The Correspondence Between Fertility Intentions and Behavior in the United States," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 36(1), pages 91-118, March.
    19. Ronald R. Rindfuss & Minja K. Choe & Noriko O. Tsuya & Larry L. Bumpass & Emi Tamaki, 2015. "Do low survey response rates bias results? Evidence from Japan," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 32(26), pages 797-828.
    20. Seiritsu Ogura & Toshiaki Tachibanaki & David A. Wise, 2003. "Labor Markets and Firm Benefit Policies in Japan and the United States," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number ogura03-1.
    21. James Raymo & Miho Iwasawa & Larry Bumpass, 2009. "Cohabitation and family formation in Japan," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 46(4), pages 785-803, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wei-hsin Yu & Yuko Hara, 2020. "Job characteristics, marital intentions, and partner-seeking actions: Longitudinal evidence from Japan," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(52), pages 1509-1544.
    2. Martin Piotrowski & Erik Bond & Ann Beutel, 2020. "Marriage counterfactuals in Japan: Variation by gender, marital status, and time," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(37), pages 1081-1118.
    3. Maomin Jiang & Zhengyu Wu & Binbin He & Aixian Tu & Yibo Wu, 2022. "Effect of Work–Family Conflict on Three-Child Fertility Intention of Working Women of Reproductive Age under the Background of Active Reproductive Support: The Moderating and Mediating Effects of Anxi," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-14, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wei-hsin Yu & Yuko Hara, 2020. "Job characteristics, marital intentions, and partner-seeking actions: Longitudinal evidence from Japan," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(52), pages 1509-1544.
    2. Jona Schellekens & David Gliksberg, 2018. "The Decline in Marriage in Israel, 1960–2007: Period or Cohort Effect?," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 34(1), pages 119-142, February.
    3. Christina Gibson-Davis & Anna Gassman-Pines & Rebecca Lehrman, 2018. "“His” and “Hers”: Meeting the Economic Bar to Marriage," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(6), pages 2321-2343, December.
    4. Matthijs Kalmijn, 2011. "The Influence of Men’s Income and Employment on Marriage and Cohabitation: Testing Oppenheimer’s Theory in Europe [L’impact du niveau de revenu et du travail des hommes sur le mariage et la cohabit," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 27(3), pages 269-293, August.
    5. Keuntae Kim, 2017. "The changing role of employment status in marriage formation among young Korean adults," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(5), pages 145-172.
    6. Muzhi Zhou & Xiaogang Wu & Guangye He, 2017. "Marriage in an immigrant society: Education and the transition to first marriage in Hong Kong," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 37(18), pages 567-598.
    7. Daniel Schneider & Kristen Harknett & Matthew Stimpson, 2019. "Job Quality and the Educational Gradient in Entry Into Marriage and Cohabitation," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(2), pages 451-476, April.
    8. Nicoletta Balbo & Francesco C. Billari & Melinda Mills, 2013. "Fertility in Advanced Societies: A Review of Research," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 29(1), pages 1-38, February.
    9. Darcy W. Hango & Céline Le Bourdais, 2007. "Early Union Formation in Canada: Links with Education," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 23(3), pages 339-368, October.
    10. David McClendon & Janet Kuo & R. Raley, 2014. "Opportunities to Meet: Occupational Education and Marriage Formation in Young Adulthood," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(4), pages 1319-1344, August.
    11. Doris Hanappi & Valérie-Anne Ryser & Laura Bernardi & Jean-Marie Le Goff, 2017. "Changes in Employment Uncertainty and the Fertility Intention–Realization Link: An Analysis Based on the Swiss Household Panel," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 33(3), pages 381-407, July.
    12. Felicia Tian, 2013. "Transition to First Marriage in Reform-Era Urban China: The Persistent Effect of Education in a Period of Rapid Social Change," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 32(4), pages 529-552, August.
    13. Yoshida Akiko, 2011. "No chance for romance: Corporate culture, gendered work, and increased singlehood in Japan," Contemporary Japan, De Gruyter, vol. 23(2), pages 213-234, January.
    14. Fenaba Addo, 2014. "Debt, Cohabitation, and Marriage in Young Adulthood," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(5), pages 1677-1701, October.
    15. Setsuya Fukuda, 2013. "The Changing Role of Women’s Earnings in Marriage Formation in Japan," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 646(1), pages 107-128, March.
    16. James M. Raymo & Hyunjoon Park, 2020. "Marriage Decline in Korea: Changing Composition of the Domestic Marriage Market and Growth in International Marriage," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(1), pages 171-194, February.
    17. Sunnee Billingsley & Gerda Neyer & Katharina Wesolowski, 2022. "Social Investment Policies and Childbearing Across 20 Countries: Longitudinal and Micro-Level Analyses," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 38(5), pages 951-974, December.
    18. Jia Yu & Yu Xie, 2015. "Changes in the Determinants of Marriage Entry in Post-Reform Urban China," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(6), pages 1869-1892, December.
    19. Alexandra Killewald & Ian Lundberg, 2017. "New Evidence Against a Causal Marriage Wage Premium," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(3), pages 1007-1028, June.
    20. Martin Piotrowski & Erik Bond & Ann Beutel, 2020. "Marriage counterfactuals in Japan: Variation by gender, marital status, and time," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(37), pages 1081-1118.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    job characteristics; marriage intentions; fertility desires; work-family conflict; economic progress; workplace sociability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:36:y:2017:i:13. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Editorial Office (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.demogr.mpg.de/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.