| 要約(英文) |
Though various measures for gender equality have been taken in Japanese rural society since the 1990s, gender asymmetry still remains. Gender division of labor in family farming is one of the important issues for gender equality in rural society. Generally, male farmers use agricultural machinery and female farmers engage in subsidiary work in family farming. Though the connection between agricultural machinery and masculinity are the main factors of gender division f labor in previous studies, other factors are focused on in this study. I focus n power relations in farm family, relationships among farmers in villages, and relationships between farmers and agricultural machinery companies. Intentions nd behaviors of farmers, especially male farmers, in their agricultural labor re described and analyzed. I conducted fieldwork in Kojo Village, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture and interviewed farmers and agricultural machinery salesmen at JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperative) about agricultural mechanization nd the change of farm labor. The use of agricultural machinery reflects a male-dominated system in arm families and relationships among farmers in villages. As a result, male farmers mainly use agricultural machinery and female farmers purposely avoid agricultural machinery. Agricultural machinery companies develop and diffuse agricultural machinery in a manner that reflects those relationships, and gender elations in family farming are reproduced. These factors maintain gender division f labor in family farming. Gender division of labor penalizes men and women in arm family. Agricultural machinery originally retains the potential to change gender elations, but in order for it to exert it’s potential, it is necessary to recognize various relations, particularly those related to gender and power, that are incorporated into technologies. |
