The art of the gut : manhood, power, and ethics in Japanese politics / Robin M. LeBlanc.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

LeBlanc, Robin M., 1966-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Masculinity--Political aspects--Japan.

Masculinity.

Men--Political activity--Japan.

Men.

Political culture--Japan.

Political culture.

Japan--Politics and government--1989-.

Japan.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (251 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, 2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This beautifully written ethnography follows the lives of two very different Japanese men entering political life in two very different communities. One is the rural leader of a citizens' referendum movement, while the other hopes to succeed his father in a Tokyo ward assembly. Fast-paced and engrossing, The Art of the Gut puts the reader behind the scenes to hear speeches, attend campaign functions, and eavesdrop on late-night strategy sessions and one-on-one conversations. In her groundbreaking analysis, Robin M. Le Blanc explores the the two men's differing notions of what is expected of a "good" man and demonstrates how the fundamental desire to be good men constrains their political choices even as it encourages both to become ethical agents. The result is a vibrant and up-to-date picture of politics in Japan today that also addresses masculine gender expectations in a male-dominated political world, the connection between gendered identity and ethical being, and the process by which men who are neither dominant nor marginal to their communities assert themselves both with and against power.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Note on Names

Preface

Introduction: The Power Remainder

1. Breadwinners

2. The Inheritor

3. The Paradox of Masculine Honor

4. Cheating as a Democratic Practice

5. The Art of the Gut

Conclusion: Salad and Cigarettes for Breakfast, or How to Find Democracy by Losing Your Sense of Perspective

Notes

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN:

9786612360015

9781282360013

1282360019

9780520945050

0520945050

OCLC:

773565015