Women's Working Lives in East Asia

One of the most dramatic economic changes of the past century has been the increase in married women s work outside the home. This volume examines the nature of married women s participation in the economies of three East Asian countries Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. In addition to asking what is similar or different about women s economic participation in this region of the world compared to Western societies, the book also asks how women s work patterns vary across the three countries. The essays focus on key theoretical questions for the study of women s labor and, more broadly, economic gender inequality. How do we assess the value of work available to married women in different countries and cultural contexts? What forces promote or hinder women s work outside the home throughout marriage and childrearing? Does wage employment necessarily benefit women more than the informal sector (e.g., family-run businesses)? Is full-time work always more desirable than part-time work? Do women who return to the labor force after absences due to family responsibilities incur a heavy wage penalty for interrupted careers? The essays balance comparative assessments in a broad East Asian context with detailed investigations of one or more questions in the context of a specific country.