Conference Presentations by James X White
Integral to socialisation in Japan, the drinking of beer is a gendered activity with certain
beh... more Integral to socialisation in Japan, the drinking of beer is a gendered activity with certain
behaviours, practices, methods and products designated as masculine or feminine. With television
being widely disseminated in Japan, these practices are presented to a wider audience via
advertising which presents not only methods of how
to drink, but also models of gender, of how to
be a man or a woman. One particular model whic
h stands out is that of the Loner Male – a
masculinity which is constructed via certain
idealistic notions of independence, isolation, and
exclusion. This model has been present since 1957 and, with some slight changes, continues to
exist into the present. This paper will show
how this model has been, and continues to be,
presented as ideal and ideally Japanese.
Despite an absence of work in the intersection of gender, alcohol, and advertising in Japan, many... more Despite an absence of work in the intersection of gender, alcohol, and advertising in Japan, many studies continue to only concern themselves either with the effects on health of alcohol or with discovering that “traditional” gender stereotypes exist within advertising . This paper will seek to rectify this lacuna to some degree. Integral to socialisation in Japan, the importance of beer within Japanese society cannot be understated: it is not only a cultural object, but also a cultural performance, indicator, and tool with its consumption especially a highly gendered activity. This activity is presented to a wide audience through television advertising, which disseminates not only methods of how to drink, but also particular models of masculinity and femininity. Four very different models of gender - The Loner Male, The Vanished Geisha, the Couple, and The Androgyne -became prominent in beer advertising during the latter half of the twentieth century and could, with varying degrees of accuracy, be said to be particularly Japanese models of masculinity and femininity. These models are not static, however, and this paper will show how they evolved during the post-war period. Further locating these evolutions within wider socioeconomic events also provides an opportunity to utilise advertisements as a historical source in order to question and contextualise idealised representations of masculinity and femininity.
Book Reviews by James X White
Thesis Chapters by James X White
PhD Thesis, 2019
In the postwar period, beer became integral to, and integrated within, Japanese socialisation pra... more In the postwar period, beer became integral to, and integrated within, Japanese socialisation practices. Beer was promoted to consumers in increasingly sophisticated and ubiquitous advertising campaigns which played a significant social role, depicting correct practices and sites of consumption with scenes featuring normative models of gender. These “idealised” depictions informed consumers about who was meant to drink, how, and where. These images were neither static nor uncontested, however. A variety of writers negotiated and challenged their meaning and significance demonstrating an awareness of a range of competing masculinities and femininities. These commentators discussed societal and gender relations, politics, gendered bodies, the beer industry, and relationships to explain how these depictions conflicted with their “reality” and their understanding of “correct” gender models. These critics were not homogenous with those who came of age during the war interpreting campaigns very differently to those born afterwards. Covering the period 1950 – 1996, I trace the influences on, and theoretical backgrounds, of these divergent opinions and criticisms to understand how interpretations of these images evolved, linking them to societal trends, modes of thought, and theories of gender. This reveals a rich and diverse trove of understandings about, and attitudes, towards gender which has been underutilised or neglected by scholars. Examining these perspectives thus contributes to our understanding of gender throughout this period and affects how we view these images historically. This study also demonstrates how important this approach is for any examination of advertising in Japan. These discussions reveal interpretations and perspectives which, unavailable through textual analysis alone, allow one to chart divergences in conceptualisations of gender and thus increase researchers’ knowledge while decreasing their reliance on individual ability. The importance of this approach thus lies in bringing to light a rich, vibrant, and relatively unexamined discourse around these advertisements which provides multiple subtle viewpoints.
Papers by James X White
In the postwar period, beer became integral to, and integrated within, Japanese socialisation pra... more In the postwar period, beer became integral to, and integrated within, Japanese socialisation practices. Beer was promoted to consumers in increasingly sophisticated and ubiquitous advertising campaigns which played a significant social role, depicting correct practices and sites of consumption with scenes featuring normative models of gender. These “idealised” depictions informed consumers about who was meant to drink, how, and where. These images were neither static nor uncontested, however. A variety of writers negotiated and challenged their meaning and significance demonstrating an awareness of a range of competing masculinities and femininities. These commentators discussed societal and gender relations, politics, gendered bodies, the beer industry, and relationships to explain how these depictions conflicted with their “reality” and their understanding of “correct” gender models. These critics were not homogenous with those who came of age during the war interpreting campaign...
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Conference Presentations by James X White
behaviours, practices, methods and products designated as masculine or feminine. With television
being widely disseminated in Japan, these practices are presented to a wider audience via
advertising which presents not only methods of how
to drink, but also models of gender, of how to
be a man or a woman. One particular model whic
h stands out is that of the Loner Male – a
masculinity which is constructed via certain
idealistic notions of independence, isolation, and
exclusion. This model has been present since 1957 and, with some slight changes, continues to
exist into the present. This paper will show
how this model has been, and continues to be,
presented as ideal and ideally Japanese.
Book Reviews by James X White
Thesis Chapters by James X White
Papers by James X White
behaviours, practices, methods and products designated as masculine or feminine. With television
being widely disseminated in Japan, these practices are presented to a wider audience via
advertising which presents not only methods of how
to drink, but also models of gender, of how to
be a man or a woman. One particular model whic
h stands out is that of the Loner Male – a
masculinity which is constructed via certain
idealistic notions of independence, isolation, and
exclusion. This model has been present since 1957 and, with some slight changes, continues to
exist into the present. This paper will show
how this model has been, and continues to be,
presented as ideal and ideally Japanese.