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出生率の低さが意味するもの
日本では近年、社会の高齢化と出生率の低下から、国民の年金負担率の増大が避けられない状況にある。出生率が回復すればこの問題は解決できるだろうが、そのためには、女性が子供を産んでも人生を楽しめる環境を作ることが大切だ、と筆者は主張する。
For the government, the "graying of Japan" ― meaning the increase in the number of elderly vis-a-vis the work force ― is a daunting scenario. At the very least, this situation will mean higher compulsory social security payments and simultaneously fewer benefits.
Interestingly, the main solution to this complicated problem is simple: Families should be encouraged to have more children. Otherwise the government will be forced to keep raising worker contributions and to keep cutting social welfare benefits until social security exists only in name.
Japanese social researchers provide two basic reasons for the sliding birthrate :
(1) Women are reluctant to marry early or at all because of improved economic and social opportunities. They find marriage and child-rearing unattractive compared to work, education and following personal interests.
(2) Women must shoulder responsibilities alone. Japanese husbands are so burdened with company responsibilities that they only contribute 5 percent of their waking hours to the family and household, compared to the average 30 percent in major Western countries.
It is unfortunate that marriage and family have become unattractive options for so many Japanese women simply because they want to have a life of their own.
In many other countries, women are entitled to find fulfillment outside the home if they choose. However, in Japan, most women are pressured to choose between marriage and an interesting, independent life. Thus, it is little wonder that many young women regard marriage hesitantly.
A foreign friend recently left her two-month-old baby with a babysitter to attend a cocktail party. I thought this was quite normal for an active working woman and would probably have done the same. However, some Japanese who heard about this were aghast and thought my friend selfish for having left her child alone.
Mothers need stimulation, outside contact and varied experiences in order to rear children wisely. Women who continue to have active lives after childbirth are not selfish but sensible.
As for Japanese salarymen, I know many who wish they could be more active in family affairs. However, Japanese company demands on employees make it almost humanly impossible for salarymen to have enough time to be fathers and husbands.
No wonder so many Japanese women don't want children. Improving this situation will not only require a change in women's thinking but in society's as well.
Japan's low birthrate and its socio-economic consequences have the country's planners worried. Under present conditions, the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates that in 50 years each working person between the ages of 15 and 64 may have to shoulder 85 percent of one senior citizen's expenses.
For the government, the "graying of Japan" ― meaning the increase in the number of elderly vis-a-vis the work force ― is a daunting scenario. At the very least, this situation will mean higher compulsory social security payments and simultaneously fewer benefits.
Interestingly, the main solution to this complicated problem is simple: Families should be encouraged to have more children. Otherwise the government will be forced to keep raising worker contributions and to keep cutting social welfare benefits until social security exists only in name.
Japanese social researchers provide two basic reasons for the sliding birthrate :
(1) Women are reluctant to marry early or at all because of improved economic and social opportunities. They find marriage and child-rearing unattractive compared to work, education and following personal interests.
(2) Women must shoulder responsibilities alone. Japanese husbands are so burdened with company responsibilities that they only contribute 5 percent of their waking hours to the family and household, compared to the average 30 percent in major Western countries.
It is unfortunate that marriage and family have become unattractive options for so many Japanese women simply because they want to have a life of their own.
In many other countries, women are entitled to find fulfillment outside the home if they choose. However, in Japan, most women are pressured to choose between marriage and an interesting, independent life. Thus, it is little wonder that many young women regard marriage hesitantly.
A foreign friend recently left her two-month-old baby with a babysitter to attend a cocktail party. I thought this was quite normal for an active working woman and would probably have done the same. However, some Japanese who heard about this were aghast and thought my friend selfish for having left her child alone.
Mothers need stimulation, outside contact and varied experiences in order to rear children wisely. Women who continue to have active lives after childbirth are not selfish but sensible.
As for Japanese salarymen, I know many who wish they could be more active in family affairs. However, Japanese company demands on employees make it almost humanly impossible for salarymen to have enough time to be fathers and husbands.
No wonder so many Japanese women don't want children. Improving this situation will not only require a change in women's thinking but in society's as well.
Shukan ST: May 16, 1997
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- Implications of 〜
- 〜 の意味
- low birthrate
- 低い出生率
- socio-economic consequences
- 社会経済的な重要性
- have 〜 worried
- 〜 を心配させている
- planners
- これからの国を予測・計画する人たち
- National Institute of Population and Social Security Research
- 国立社会保障・人口問題研究所
- estimates
- 推測する
- working person
- 労働者
- shoulder
- 負担する
- one senior citizen's expenses
- 高齢市民一人分の年金
- graying of 〜
- 〜 の高齢化
- meaning
- つまり
- increase in the number of elcerly vis-a-vis the work force
- 労働人口に対する高齢者の比率が大きくなっていること
- daunting scenario
- 気力をくじくような予測
- At the very least
- 少なくとも
- higher compulsory social security payments
- 支払いを義務づけられた社会保障の掛け金が高くなること
- simultaneously
- 同時に
- benefits
- 給付金
- solution
- 解決法
- complicated
- 複雑な
- should be encouraged to 〜
- 〜 するよう奨励されるべきだ
- Otherwise
- さもないと
- worker contributions
- 労働者の負担部分
- keep cutting 〜
- 〜 を削減し続ける
- social welfare
- 社会福祉
- exists only in name
- 名ばかりのものになる
- social researchers
- 社会学者
- provide
- 挙げる
- sliding
- 変化する
- are reluctant to marry early or at all
- 若いうちに結婚したがらない、またはまったく結婚したがらない
- child-rearing
- 子育て
- unattractive
- 魅力がない
- following personal interests
- 自分のしたいことをすること
- are so burdened with 〜 that they only 〜
- 〜 の負担が重すぎて 〜 しかできない
- contribute 〜 to 〜
- 〜 を 〜 のために使う
- waking hours
- 起きている時間
- household
- 家事
- It is unfortunate that 〜
- 〜 であるのは残念なことだ
- options
- 選択肢
- are entitled to 〜
- 〜 する権利がある
- fulfillment
- 充足感
- it is little wonder that 〜
- 〜 でもあまり不思議ではない
- regard 〜 hesitantly
- 〜 にちゅうちょする
- were aghast
- ひどく驚いた
- selfish
- 自分勝手
- stimulation
- 刺激
- varied
- さまざまな
- childbirth
- 出産
- sensible
- 賢い
- As for 〜
- 〜 に関する限りでは
- family affairs
- 家庭内の活動
- humanly impossible
- 人間のできる範囲では不可能な