Working Women of Japan

"Working Women of Japan" by Sidney Lewis Gulick is a study of women laborers in Japan during the transition to an industrialized society. Gulick's book looks at the lives of Japanese working women and how industrialization affected them. The book opens by setting the stage for the investigation of Japanese society and contrasts it with the traditional place and roles in society. It brings to light how many women have to make money, while also taking care of the home. The early chapters go over the history of social class in Japan and the economic problems women in farming and home-based businesses had to deal with. The author points out the ways they helped the family make money, while also talking about their limited schooling and what society expected of them, laying the foundation for detailed conversations about jobs in later chapters.