1
A Quantitative Analysis of the Economic Situation of Those Who
Have Undergone Divorce
The Gender Gap in Equivalent Household Income, 1998-2008, in Japan
TANAKA Sigeto (Tohoku University)http://www.sal.tohoku.ac.jp/~tsigeto/11x.html
ISA/RC06(CFR) Kyoto Seminar2011-09-12 Kyoto University (京都)
Background
Tohoku University Global COE:
Gender Equality and Multicultural Conviviality in the Age of Globalization
With law/politics researchers, 2008-2012http://www.law.tohoku.ac.jp/gcoe/
2
Micro-Macro Problem
Macro-level justice = Impact on total system
Forecast
Micro-level justice = norm / law controlling actors
3
Question
Gender equality
Look before leap
Equitable divorce
4
5
Japanese divorce system
Traditional: Unilateral no-ground
Modern: Bilateral no-ground+ Unilateral ground-based
6
Debate for divorce reform
Currently:90% ...... by mutual consent
(no legal intervention)9% …… mediated by court1% …… judgement by court
→ anti-liberal, equity-oriented debates
7
Equitable Divorce
・Restore any change
・Otherwise, monetary transfer
・Fifty-fifty rule
8
Typical cases
・Earning capacity due to specialization
・ Burden to bring up legitimate child
・Disease caused/worsened by marital life (Motozawa 1998)
→ Coverage by these cases?
Trend in marital status
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
200520001995199019851980197519701965196019551950
Population Census 1950-2005, Women aged 25-69
Unmarried Married Widow Divorced
Decomposition of gender inequality
U: gender inequality
D: among divorced
E: Coverage by equitable reform
DE
UD
UE
×=
Two sub-questionsProportion covered by equitable divorce
(= E/U)
SQ1: Contribution of divorced people to overall gender inequality (= D/U)
SQ2: Impact of equity-oriented reform on post-divorce gender gap (= E/D)
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National Family Research of Japan (NFRJ)
By Japan Society of Family Sociology
★ Detailed information on kinship and life events
★ National representative samples: 1998, 2003, 2008
★ Huge number: 473, 494, 463 divorced
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NFRJ98: on page 5/25問15 去年１年間のお宅の収入（生計をともにしている家族
全員の収入の合計） は、税込みでは次の中のどれに近いでしょうか。
1 収入はなかった 6 600～799万円台
2 100万円未満 7 800～999万円台
3 100～199万円台 8 1000～1199万円台
4 200～399万円台 9 1200万円以上
5 400～599万円台 10 わからない
Annual Household Income
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NFRJ03: on page 5/18問8 去年１年間のお宅 （生計をともにしている家族） の収入は、税込みで
は次の中のどれに近いでしょうか。他の家族の方の収入も含めてお答えください。（○は１つだけ）
１ 収入はなかった ７ 500～ 599 万円台 13 1100～1199 万円台
２ 100 万円未満 ８ 600～ 699 万円台 14 1200～1299 万円台
３ 100～199 万円台 ９ 700～ 799 万円台 15 1300～1399 万円台
４ 200～299 万円台 10 800～ 899 万円台 16 1400～1499 万円台
５ 300～399 万円台 11 900～ 999 万円台 17 1500～1599 万円台
６ 400～499 万円台 12 1000～1099 万円台 18 1600 万円以上
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NFRJ08: on page 23/24 問18 去年１年間のお宅 （生計をともにしている家族） の収入は、税込み
では次の中のどれに近いでしょうか。他の家族の方の収入も含めてお答えください。（○は１つだけ）
１ 収入はなかった ８ 500～ 599 万円台 15 1200～1299 万円台
２ 100 万円未満 ９ 600～ 699 万円台 16 1300～1399 万円台
３ 100～129 万円台 10 700～ 799 万円台 17 1400～1499 万円台
４ 130～199 万円台 11 800～ 899 万円台 18 1500～1599 万円台
５ 200～299 万円台 12 900～ 999 万円台 19 1600 万円以上
６ 300～399 万円台 13 1000～1099 万円台
７ 400～499 万円台 14 1100～1199 万円台
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Midpoint= 4,500,000
H.Inc. in the previous year
4,000,000 5,000,000
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Equivalent Household Income
Size
Income
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Gender Gap in EHI
2
3
4
NFRJ98 NFRJ03 NFRJ08
1,00
0,00
0 ye
n
MaleFemale
F/M = 0.897 0.925 0.932
19
0
1
2
3
4
5
1st M
ar.
Wid
ow
Div.
Sp
Div.
noS
p
Unm
arrie
d
1,00
0,00
0 ye
n
MaleFemale
Marital history and EHI: NFRJ98
20
0
1
2
3
4
5
1st M
ar.
Wid
ow
Div.
Sp
Div.
noS
p
Unm
arrie
d
MaleFemale
Marital history and EHI: NFRJ03
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0
1
2
3
4
5
1st M
ar.
Wid
ow
Div.
Sp
Div.
noS
p
Unm
arrie
d
1,00
0,00
0 ye
n
MaleFemale
Marital history and EHI: NFRJ08
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
NFRJ98 NFRJ03 NFRJ08
1st marriageM unmarriedF unmarriedM div. noSpF div. noSp
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F/M(div. noSp) = 0.572 0.668 0.752
Summary1,000
yen/year
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・Unmarried / Married…….. No gap
・Divorced / Widowed…….. Great gap
Marital History and Gender Gap
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Regression (divorced)
Independent variables：・Age ・Education ・Spouse・One-parson household・Co-residing parent・Co-residing child under 13・Continuous regular employment
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In Table 7 Model 1Direct negative effect of “female”
after controlling age composition
0.683 - 0.748 - 0.819
Model 2The effect is not significant
0.890 - 0.995 - 1.110
2626
Result (Model 2)
Education
EmploymentEHI
Age
GenderChild
＋
Parent
Remarriage/Household
ー
＋
2727
Model 3: Effect of remarriage/household (female)
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
NFRJ98 NFRJ03 NFRJ08
Remarried
Other
Co-res. ParentOne-person
2828
Model 3: Effect of remarriage/household (male)
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
NFRJ98 NFRJ03 NFRJ08
Remarried
Other
Co-res. ParentOne-person
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Findings
Female EHI is 10% lower than male
Mainly caused by widowed/divorced
4 factors of gender gap after divorce
Factors of post-divorce gap
Gender
Education
Custody
Specialization
Remarriage
Livingstandard
Marriage Divorce
Post-divorce lifeMarital lifePre-marriage
investment
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Conclusion・Effect of employment / child→ Coverage of the reform (E/D)
・Remarriage effect for women→ ?
・Great gender gap for divorced→ Impact on macro-level inequality (D/U)
