• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.24 no.5 s.83
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• pp.69-87
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• 2006

This article attempts to explore how the women retirees under study were able to continue work until retirement. This study used life histories, especially focusing on daily working lives, and uncovered a number of key issues through in-depth interviews. The main results are as follows: Firstly, the women retirees examined here had been raised as highly educated people, and their strong educational background was a base component for them to have relatively secure careers. Their parents had also supported practically the women retirees during their working lives. In addition, the women retirees had to can out the roles of 'provider' for their original families, procreation families or in-law families, even though they were not given the recognized roles of provider. Secondly, the women retirees had a private infra system to support them with housework and child care. In addition, because they were financially able to employ housemaids, the women retirees did not experience conflicts with their husbands, who took on a neo-traditional sex role. Finally, thanks to relatively good working conditions such as having vacations and being able to come to and leave the office on time, the women retirees were able to continue work until retirement no mean feat in a society which openly practiced gender discrimination.