Social Stratification in an Aging Society with Low Fertility: The Case of Japan
Sawako Shirahase, "Social Stratification in an Aging Society with Low Fertility: The Case of Japan "
English | ISBN: 9811936463 | 2022 | 223 pages | PDF | 4 MB
English | ISBN: 9811936463 | 2022 | 223 pages | PDF | 4 MB
This edited book empirically discusses stratification in contemporary Japanese society. It is unique for its examination of social inequality in relation to declining fertility and an aging population. Japan is the most aged society in the world: according to the Statistics Bureau of Japan, people who are aged 65 and above comprised 29.1% of the country’s total population in 2021. Meanwhile, the fertility rate has continuously declined since the mid-1970s.
Japan experienced a dramatic change in its demographic structure in a short period of time. Such fast change could be a major factor that generated social stratification. In her industrialization, Japan was thought to share a pattern of social stratification similar to that of developed European and North American countries but with a low degree of socio-economic inequality and a high degree of homogeneity. There is no clear support for this description of Japan, although the country does share a pattern and degree of social stratification similar to that observed in Europe and North America.
Read more