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Precis: " Globalisation and the Bodily Performance of ' Cool' and ' Un-cool' Masculinities in Corporate Japan" (2010) by Romit Dasgupta

In Dasgupta’s article “Globalisation and the Bodily Performance of ‘Cool’ and ‘Un-cool’ Masculinities in Corporate Japan” (2010), he expounds on the notion that a shift in the times had also called for a shift in the manifestation of a gender image in the society of Japan, particularly in the workplace where everything of “man” is scrutinised as well as prescribed to. This was initially a reaction to the western’s concept of gendered hegemonic structure but was further developed into something “Japanese” because of historical and situational evidences that had formed the Japanese nation over the years. He also identifies that in scrutinising the body’s appearance could very well affect the impression of work ethics and discipline, both literally (the way a salaryman carries himself to project his personal discipline as a corporate soldier) and metaphorically (the hegemonic masculinity of Japan to represent its control, independence, success during the economic boom, and self-discipline which translate to transnational business relationships). However, this would also be challenged by the later years with the change in economic capacity and the ever changing global landscape and entrance of the younger generation who are now exposed to a wider variety of lifestyle and work options as opposed to the previous generations. Hence, the new image of the corporate hero is no longer the “salaryman” of the past, but the entrepreneurial, strict and economically rational figure would come to represent the new hegemonic ideal by 2000’s. And with this reshaping of the figurative image, came the reshaping of the actual physical form of the human body (the masculine gender) to fit modernity and progress, which suggests “always looking towards Euro-American standards”. This article was written with analytical description of the issues on globalisation and engendering corporate Japan, using frameworks discussed in other socio-anthropological courses, which entails that this article is interdisciplinary, but aimed primarily for the researchers and students of social sciences, though it still remains a comprehensible read for the average person.

(November 25, 2015)

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