Reregulating breadwinner models in socially conservative welfare systems: Comparing Germany and Japan

Abstract

Through a paired comparison between Japan and Germany, we suggest that the legacy of the strong male-breadwinner model creates particular pressures on socially conservative welfare states in a period of restructuring. These countries are reregulating gender relations in different ways. We relate differences between Germany and Japan to contrasting state-society relations: specifically the role of the Japanese state in trying to stem both economic and demographic decline on the one hand and the role of the social partners in Germany to stimulate employment growth and reduce unemployment on the other. In addition, we point to the impact of the European Union (EU) on the matters of labor market and equality regulations in our analysis of Germany.