Women in the Language and Society of Japan: The Linguistic Roots of Bias

by Naoko Takemaru

Overview

Feminist critics have long considered language a primary vehicle for the transmission of sexist values in a society. This much-needed sociolinguistic critique examines the representation of women in traditional Japanese language and society. Derogatory and highly-sexualized terms are placed in historical context, and the progress of nonsexist language reform is reviewed. Central to this work are the individual voices of Japanese women who took part in a survey, expressing their candid thoughts and concerns regarding biased gender representations. In their own words, they give voice to the reality of being female within the constraints of a traditional--and sometimes misogynistic--language.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786440030
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	04/22/2010
Series:	History/World
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	363,521
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

The late Naoko Takemaru was an associate professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She was a faculty member for 20 years and taught numerous courses on Japanese culture, business, and language. She is also remembered as someone who had a passion for nature and animals, and especially loved cats. She was beloved by her colleagues and students, and known affectionately to them as “Takemura Sensei.”

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

List of Tables      viii
Acknowledgments     
Preface     
Introduction     

Part I: Representation of Women in Japanese Society
1—Status and Roles of Women in Japan     
2—Family and Marriage in Japan     
3—Women and Education in Japan     
4—Women in the Japanese Workplace     
5—Feminism in Japan     

Part II: Representation of Women in the Japanese Language
6—Survey: Voices from Japanese Women     
7—Women and the Japanese Language:
The Present and the Future     

Appendix A: Demographic Information about the Survey
Participants     
Appendix B: Japanese Words and Phrases Listed by
Survey Participants     
Bibliography     
Index     

Editorial Reviews

of value”—Social Science Japan Journal.

From the Publisher

of value

Social Science Japan Journal