THE PERSISTENCE OF EXTENDED FAMILY RESIDENCE IN JAPAN: ANACHRONISM OR ALTERNATIVE STRATEGY?

Using data from a 1978 study of wives with pre-school-age children, we show that extended residence fits nicely with certain elements of modern Japanese society, offering tangible benefits for both young couples and their parents. Specifically, the incompatibility of the mother role and wage work is greatly reduced by the child care and housework aid parents provide. Consequently, wives in extended households have more children and are more likely to be employed. Moreover, very few respondents living with parents wish a more separate residence. Extended residence is not an anachronism. Rather, it offers an appealing alternative to some of the most modern segments of contemporary Japanese society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]