Social Participation in Urban Japan: Variations among Tokyo Women

This paper examines the social and demographic attributes of mar ried women which influence the pattern of social participation in a ‘new middle class area’ of Tokyo. The hypotheses derived from the work of Gans were tested by identifying types of residents using cluster analysis. The analysis revealed the following: (1) the pattern of social participation can be explained by the socioeconomic status and life cycle stage of residents; (2) local community involvement was being regenerated among women with low levels of educational attainment in areas where participation in Jichikai and neighbour hood interactions were not obligatory; (3) middle or high levels of educational attainment and withdrawal from work-force partici pation combined to create socially isolated women. © 1991, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.