Danielle
Is formal power more of a burden than informal power?
Zach F.
If theorists refuse to attach much importance to power excercised unofficially, does power ever exist outside the hands of people who hold specific positions of power? Does this mean the power of protest does not work? Where does this leave Japanese women? Where does this leave subjugated people in general?
Alexa
It was said that the most humiliating part of being an OL was the "namelessness.". If women actually do the jobs "men cannot do themselves" then why not allow the women to have come credit or recognition since they can be somewhat indispensable? Wouldn't this keep them at the job?
Emily M.
In Japan, the common term for working women is an Office Lady (OL). Is there anything similar to this in the US for working women?
L.B.
Are companies justified in any way in using discriminatory policies towards the treatment of women because they have evidence that women often have a short tenure with the company?
Zach N.
"It is noteworthy that few OLs objected to the unequal treatment of men and women in their companies," however the women object and complain to tea pouring? Isn't that unequal treatment as well?
Michaela
Yuko gives two alternative public perspectives of gender in Japan. Some claim that Japanese females are oppressed and inferior to males, while others claim that females hold authority over males and hold the “real power.” However, I find it interesting that neither option claims that males are oppressed. Do you find this odd that the idea of males being oppressed is not mentioned when discussing gender equality in Japan? In most, if not all, of the pieces we've read, why is it that females are either oppressed or powerful but males are either superior or not mentioned?
Katy
Must Japanese women be manipulative to exercise their power?
Megan G.
Do you believe Japanese women implicitly deny themselves surficial "equality" in order to gain more of the implicit power that they hold within homes and the work-place
Meagan B.
While reading the first sections of Ogasawara's book, I noticed similarities between the OLs and Mariko's position. How could the workplace described by Ogasawara be compared to the family unit described by Bumiller?
Allison P.
Can informal power be more powerful than formal power? (In My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the mother says that the man is the head of the house but the woman is the neck and she can turn it anyway she wants. Is being the neck more powerful than the head?)
LaKeisha
Do they believe that most women express dissatisfaction through "exiting"?
Allison H.
Are women truly wielding informal power to their advantage if they are completely unaware that they are doing it?
Stacey
Some men disrespect women and say things like, "I'll have one of the girls go get it" or "Our girl made a mistake" (31). If men called women girls in the United States do you think there would be severe consequences such as law suits or men getting fired?
Marquis
How do traditional roles hold back the advancement of companies and professions?
Matt
After reading the introduction and first chapter of Ogasawara's text and also considering the readings we have already read for this course, do you think both Japanese men and women are oppressed? Are neither of them oppressed? Or are just men or just women oppressed?
Nicole
On page 8, the author explained that women are expected to be "nicer" than men because a "woman's subordinate position requires them to control their own feelings more than men must." The author wrote, "The lower one's status, the more one's feelings are not noticed or treated as inconsequential." Therefore, why does dominance determine one's "niceness," especially when comparing males and females?
Bijal
If university graduates are paid the same as junior-college women, then what is the point of women going to university?
Danielle
How do OLs expect men to respect them and treat them as equals when they gossip and act unprofessional?
Alexa
After reading about the gossip that takes place between the OLs and its effects do you think this was a formal power or informal power? Do you think the OLs were even aware of it?
Kristen L.
Using gossip, outright work refusal, and public gift-giving as manipulative strategies, office ladies can ultimately make or break the careers of the men. Do you think both Japanese men and women are oppressed? Is by being manipulative the only way for the OLs to exercise any power?
Nicole
On page 69, the author concluded that OLs are "inhibited from voicing open rebellion by a lack of solidarity caused by diverse company policies." The author also previously mentioned in the chapter that there is a hierarchy and social status among OLs. How can the office environment improve to lessen the disparity between women in the same workplace?
Marc
How much do you think salarymen really care about the applications of informal power performed by OL's? How much should they care?
Matt
Ogasawara writes that "Given the potential contradictions among age, educational background, tenure at the bank, and tenure in a certain section, solidarity among the OLs at Tozai was difficult to achieve." After reading this section I question and wonder if solidarity can be achieved and if there are too many ways an individual can feel superior and have seniority in Japanese society? Do to many people feel like they have seniority making solidarity an impossibility?
Megan
Do you believe Japanese women accepting their inequalities from men is an acceptable identifying factor to being a female or do you believe it detracts form our notions concerning feminism?
Shannon
Was it odd to see married men buying and receiving treats and lunches from young, pretty OLs and yet not be seen as adulterous? Does this somehow connect to the difference between love marriages and marriages in Japan that we talked about?
Emily M.
It's very interesting that the OLs enjoy playing pranks on the men on Valentine's Day. They enjoy being mischievous. Does this mean that they are essentially bored with their job and are finding other ways to be entertained or stay busy?
L.B.
Does the giving of chocolates (especially "ultra-obligatory" ones) and the playing of pranks seem juvenile and disingenuous? At the same time, why is it important?
Michaela
Yuko is frustrated because she had difficulty conveying an accurate depiction of Japan and the relationship between men and women: She says, “The more I tried to be accurate, the more I failed to communicate. I was frustrated: I had failed to impart the “truth” about relations between men and women in Japan.” She was left confused by her own statements. Is this because the topic of gender equality in the states holds a different interpretation than in Japan or because the issue is not as black and white as Yuok tries to make it?
Marquis
"Men are tied down to the company, but we can say good-bye. That's a nice feeling" How does this help or hinder the position of women pursuing a career when men can consider this a advantage and a show that there is equality?
Allison P.
The OL's "united in sharing the hidden message conveyed in the gift." If the OL's could organize and agree on which men received presents and which didn't, why can't they organize to bring about even greater change?
Katy
"Such inaction assumed meaning not by itself, but only in comparison with action: it was disgraceful for a man not to get any chocolate of flowers because other men received these gifts." Does inaction (the lack of present giving) have the potential to cause change?
Minoru
Japan now, the female employee who were used to be called OL like in this book are now dominated by irregular employee especially after Koizumi, the former Prime minister of Japan, who are ultra-pro-American. OL are actually now disappearing. The jobs of OL are said to be excellent job now.
OL was a girl who were in good-old world. why did this change happen and why does the people now admire the existence O