女性エリート輩出にみる戦後改革のインパクト-外面経歴および価値意識の検討を中心に-  [in Japanese] The Impact of Various Post-war Reforms on Enrollment of Elite Women : Their External Careers and Leadership  [in Japanese]

It is well known that various reforms within the legal system have had a large impact on women's lives since World War II. One purpose of this essay is to study the course of these changes concerning women in elite positions in Japan. Particularly I will discuss whether their positions are ascribed status or acheived status. Though much has been said about status attainment and the contribution of the educational career to it concerning men, there has been a very small number of women who have been able to gain high status positions, resulting in the omission of women from these discussions. Thus, the second aim of this essay is to check up on elite women's values and beliefs, for the elite has an important effect on the course of society. Elite women are often criticized for thinking and behaving like men, and for doing nothing to improve the social status of women, i.e. they couldn't change the discriminatory (sexist) situation. In what direction are they leading Japan? Are they more conservative or more radical? To elucidate these problems, I examine the external careers of elite women as well as their value-orientations. From the analysis of the data, elite women of the post-war group are seen to be more highly educated, choose more diverse occupations, and there is a distinct effect of various reforms within educational as well as legal systems. Yet their roles up till now have been ascribed more than achieved, thouth current changes are taking place. It is worthy of mention that some of the women achieve their status, the educational credentials of such women being closely related to their achieving positions, like men. I think more and more women of this type will be gaining entry into formerly male-dominated areas in the public sector. Examination of the value-orientations of these women ('achieved' type) shows that it is not certain that elite women are like men. Although they are similar to men as regards to external careers, they aren't necessarily the same concerning value-orientation. Rather they are more opposite to men's way of thinking ; they wouldn't accept the statusquo, a male-dominated society. They believe the abilities of both sexes are equal, and hope for collaboration of both sexes in every field of society. In some sence, they will make up a countervailing power or counter-elite.