To Love or to Work? Perceptions of the Future Among Women at Elite Universities in Japan and the United States

Abstract

The total fertility rate is declining in countries across the world, with many countries below the replacement level needed to sustain a healthy population. When analyzing trends of declining fertility in post-industrial societies, scholars largely take a structural approach, focusing on the economic, social, and cultural influences on women’s family formation. This study explores how women in two high-income countries with different levels of gender equity perceive their work-family constraints, or the balance between work, homemaking, and childrearing duties. It draws on 20 semi-structured interviews with college-aged women across two elite institutions in Japan and the United States. Across the sample, there is a demand for emotionally intelligent partners who allow for an equal division of labor and a strong desire to have children. Japanese participants face constraints in their pool of potential partners, and United States participants allow passion to drive their career trajectories.