Your paper should include: * A short summary of the current marriage, romance, and love issues in Japan. You might talk about causes and connections between romantic life (1 paragraph) * An analysis using what you have learned in sociology about society and marriage to one of the issues in Japan (2-3 paragraphs) * Lines of inquiry you might consider: * marriage and other parts of society, economics and/or history; * the relationship between how a society′s gender categories are constructed and how marriage and romance play out; * demographic implications of current dating and marriage customs; * the relationship between culture and individual psychology. * Concluding paragraph discussing one of the following * what the case in Japan can tell sociology generally about variation in marriage and gender roles cross-culturally; * your analysis of whether the ′problems′ in Japan are important and why; * your proposals for how the ′problems′ in Japan might be solved. Watch the videos below before beginning your paper: Why people aren′t getting married in Japan Japan′s ′herbivore men′ — less interested in sex, money Why Japan′s Women Problem Is Hard to Fix Sexless in Japan – BBC News Divorce In Japan: Cause For Celebration Marriage in Japan Japanology Remember, in a response paper, experiment with analysis and apply critical thinking: * Analyze. * Question assumptions. * Look out for cause-and-effect relationships. * Apply course material and social theory to your society. * Describe and explain social patterns. * Remember that each of the people interviewed and the news sources doing the articles all have their own assumptions, feelings, and agendas about both marriage/romance/sexuality in general and about the situation in Japan. Think critically (don′t take what they say for granted). * Don′t try to talk about everything. Focus in on one main idea or issue. * Be organized and clear. Finish your thoughts. Use paragraphs to organize your case. Facts to keep in mind: * The Japanese divorce rate is 1/3 less than in the US * The total fertility rate in Japan as 2019 was 1.36 Things to wonder about (more hints) * To what extent does Japanese culture have models for dating, mate selection, romance, and healthy partnership? * What does a Japanese women give up when she marries? * Why is finding a mate hard for men in Japan? * Why do neither men nor women seem confident about ‘taking the lead’ in a relationship?
