Unveiling the enigma of culture: Reflections on gendered precarious work in China and Japan

Drawing on fieldwork studies in China and Japan, this chapter foregrounds the role of culture in the prevalence of precarious work often characterized by gender and its intersections with other social inequality variables. While a burgeoning body of existing literature offers compelling structural-institutional explanations for the causes and nature of precarious work, how core values and assumptions impact institutions and individuals remains relatively understudied. By unpacking culture and its entrenched yet malleable manifestations, the chapter aims to contribute to a more integrated and nuanced understanding of gendered precarious work, with a view to revisiting the symbolic power of culture and its possible contestations and implications for social change.