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TRANSCRIPT
Examination of personal success and meaning in life for Japanese
single women aged over 30 years old.
Tomoko Ago
University of East London
Master of Applied Positive Psychology
Research Question:
What’s Happiness… Success?
How each single woman see herself as being a single in the modern Japanese society?
How they define personal success and seek happiness?
Why this research?
“Makekinu”(Loser-dog) Aged over 30 years old Neither married or have
children
Married People = Winners ?Singltons = Losers?
The growth of singles women in Japan
1980 2010
30-34yo 9.1% 34.5%
35-39yo 5.5% 23.1%
(Census, Japan Statistic Bureau , Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications, 2011)
Relevant Research
Stigmatisation to single people in
societyDepaulo, B. M., & Morris, W. L. (2005);
Hertel, J., Schütz, A., Depaulo, B. M., Morris,
W. L., & Stucke, T. S. (2007).
Marital Status & SWB / HappinessArgyle, M. (2001); Myers, D. G. (2000);
Haring-Hidore, Stock, Okun, and Witter, 1985)
Method:Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
• 5 participants (ave. 35.6 y.o)
• Semi-structured interview
• Analysing verbal & non-verbal
message
• 3 Main themes/9 Sub-themes
Findings : Main Theme 1
Self in the eyes of “I”
AutonomySelf-
Acutualisation
Changing personal
Value
- Proud of themselves - Living as following
their “Inner voices”
Findings : Main Theme 2
: “Self” in the eyes of others
Struggling “to be
myself’”
Pressure of age
Sense of “Minority”
“Itai-hito”A “Painful” person in the social context
Findings : Main Theme 3
Positive Relationship
Serving beyond self
Self-Worth Source of Happiness
Discussion 1: Two Selves
Negative Self
Positive Self
Discussion 2: The Pursuit of Happiness
Conclusion: Searching for the best
Being as I am
Environment
Reference
Argyle, M. (2001). The psychology of happiness. New York : Taylor & Francis.
Depaulo, B. M., & Morris, W. L. (2005). Singles in Society and in Science. Psychological Inquiry, 16, 57–83.
Haring-Hidore, M. H., Stock, W. A., Okun, M. A. & Witter, R. A. (1985). Marital status and subjective well-being: A research synthesis. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 47, 947-953.
Hertel, J., Schütz, A., Depaulo, B. M., Morris, W. L., & Stucke, T. S. (2007). “She’s single, so what? How are singles perceived compared with people who are married?.” Zeitschrift für Familienforschung-Journal of Family Research, 19(2), 139–158.
Japan statistic bereau, Ministry of internal affiars and communicaitons. (2010). Census 2010, Retrieved from July 15th, 2013, from http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/ListE.do?bid=000001029548&cycode=0
Myers, D. G. (2000). The Funds, Friends, and Faith of Happy People. American Psychologist, 55(1), 56–67. doi:10.1037//0003-066X.55
Raymo, J. M. (2003). Educational attainment and the transition to first marriage among Japanese women. Demography, 40(1), 83–103.
Rosenberger, N. (2001). Gambling with virtue: Japanese women and the search for self in a changing nation, Hawaii: University of Hawaii press.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2002). Overview of self-determination theory: An organismicdialecticalperspective. In E.L. Deci & R.M. Ryan (Eds). Handbook of self-detemination reseatch. NY: The university of Rochester press.
Sakai, J. (2003). Makeinu noToboe (Howl of the lose dogs) , Tokyo: Kodansha