Shifting Contours of Class and Status

Roberts looks critically at the contours of class and status in Japan, focusing in particular on the rise of egalitarianism in the postwar era and the manifestations of social class through the lens of gender. She argues that we need more research on the ways in which gender and ethnicity inform social class practices. The contours of class and status in Japan appear to be shifting away from a large ''middle-mass'' toward a more polarized society, characterized by less job stability even for the middle classes, and increasing concern in the media over the uncertainties that accompany the current fluid situation.