Japanese Capitalism and Modernity in a Global Era

Japanese Capitalism and Modernity in a Global Era provides an in-depth examination of one of the most central and defining aspects of capitalist modernity in contemporary Japan--the lifetime employment system. The book investigates the key themes surrounding the system, including the work attitudes and values of Japanese company employees and whether or not Japan is converging on Western forms of capitalist organization. Peter Matanle presents and analyzes original documentary data, drawn from extensive research within four large Japanese corporations, in order to explore these issues from the perspective of both management and employees. The findings are then discussed in terms of the development of Japan's capitalism and modernity. Contrary to the popular hypothesis that the lifetime employment system and the values of the 'salaryman' are changing in response to both the globalization of market capitalism and the achievement of material affluence, this book controversially argues that there has not been a fundamental transformation of the system's underlying structures. It will be of interest to researchers of Japanese studies, Business studies and Sociology.

Peter C. D. Matanle is Lecturer in Japanese Studies at the University of Sheffield and has previously worked at Niigata University in Japan. He is the founder and general editor of the electronic journal of contemporary japanese studies.

Chapter 1 Introduction; Chapter 2 Japanese Capitalism and Modernity in Theoretical Perspective; Chapter 3 Lifetime Employment in Post-War Japan; Chapter 4 Re-Fabricating Lifetime Employment Relations; Chapter 5 Working Under Changing Employment Relations; Chapter 6 Conclusion;