Women’s Increased Higher Education and the Declining Fertility Rate in Japan

It is often asserted that the declining fertility rate in Japan is closely associated with the increasing number of women who receive a higher education. This study investigates that relationship from the theoretical perspective of social stratification. Specifically, I incorporate the outlook of social stratification with demographic approaches by analyzing the decline in fertility in relation to increasing levels of educational attainment. The discussion is divided into two major parts. The first part considers the marital and reproductive behavior associated with family background, educational credentials, and first job as social stratification variables. The second part takes up changes in values as a consequence of increased education and examines the relationship between views on the sexual division of labor and men’s participation in housework. One of the most important findings of this study is the effect of age on fertility. Whereas we have confirmed that educational background is of great importance in reaching the life stage of marriage, the decision of whether to give birth or not, which is directly reflected in the declining birthrate, is strongly influenced by age at marriage. Moreover, although it has been proposed that men’s participation in housework be promoted to confront the declining birthrate, it appears that the crucial issue of involvement in child rearing is more strongly associated with age than with either values or education. It can be argued that the presence of a tightly and hierarchically ordered timetable based on age is weakening the influence of socioeconomic factors such as education and work in Japan.