A Cultural Perspective on Gender Inequity in STEM: The Japanese Context

Yoshikawa, Katsuhiko; Kokubo, Akiko; Wu, Chia-Huei

doi:10.1017/iop.2018.19

A Cultural Perspective on Gender Inequity in STEM: The Japanese Context

Yoshikawa, Katsuhiko; Kokubo, Akiko; Wu, Chia-Huei

Authors

Katsuhiko Yoshikawa

Akiko Kokubo

Chia-Huei Wu

Abstract

To understand gender inequality in STEM, Miner et al. (2018) illustrate how an individual lens and a social-structural lens provide complementary perspectives. They indicate that gender inequality in STEM should not be simply understood from an individual lens concerning individual choices and responsibilities but also a social-structural lens concerning societal structures, processes, and meanings associated with gender. In this commentary, we would like to bring a cultural perspective to the consideration of the STEM field. Specifically, we focus on gender inequity in STEM in Japan and elaborate how Japanese culture, which emphasizes masculinity, collectivism, and a tight culture, imposes a stronger social-structural influence on gender inequality in STEM and at the same time strengthens the use of the individual lens to explain the phenomena, making the issue of gender inequality more prominent.

Citation

Yoshikawa, K., Kokubo, A., & Wu, C. (2018). A Cultural Perspective on Gender Inequity in STEM: The Japanese Context. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 11(02), 301-309. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2018.19

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Jun 16, 2018
Online Publication Date	Jun 19, 2018
Publication Date	Jun 19, 2018
Deposit Date	Jul 13, 2018
Publicly Available Date	Jul 16, 2018
Journal	Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Print ISSN	1754-9426
Electronic ISSN	1754-9434
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	11
Issue	02
Pages	301-309
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2018.19
Public URL	https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1354248

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Copyright Statement
This article has been published in a revised form in Industrial and Organizational Psychology https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2018.19. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2018.