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