Wearing Ideology: State, Schooling and Self-Presentation in Japan (Dress, Body, Culture) [Hardcover]

Brian J. McVeigh (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1859734855 | ISBN-13: 978-1859734858 | Publication Date: September 1, 2000

Uniforms are not unique to Japan, but their popularity there suggests important linkages: material culture, politico-economic projects, bodily management, and the construction of subjectivity are all connected to the wearing of uniforms. This book examines what the donning of uniforms says about cultural psychology and the expression of economic nationalism in Japan. Conformity in dress is especially apparent amongst students, who are required to wear uniforms by most schools. Drawing on concrete examples, the author focuses particularly on student uniforms, which are key socializing objects in Japan's politico-economic order, but also examines 'office ladies' (secretaries), 'salary men' (white collar workers), service personnel, and housewives, who wear a type of uniformed dress. Arguing that uniforms can be viewed as material markers of a life cycle managed by powerful politico-economic institutions, he also shows that resistance to official state projects is expressed by 'anti-uniforming' modes of self.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Somber school uniforms and cloyingly cute fashions seem equally ubiquitous in metropolitan Japan, and the tense relationship between the official regulation of dress and the playful aesthetic of cuteness is the subject of McVeigh's fine, provocative study. With subtle analysis and a focused appreciation of the forms of everyday life in Japan.

McVeigh offers a powerful theorizing of how state and corporate interests project themselves on to the bodies of students and workers and how individuals can fashion styles of resistance." --Professor William W. Kelly, Yale University

"Why does civil society in Japan take on the contours that it does? How does the state enter the drama? McVeigh's careful mix of theoretical control and ethnographic detail provide a refreshing perspective which takes the reader from the 'micro' fabric of uniforms to the 'macro' fabric of society. This book deftly demonstrates how the self emerges over the life cycle amid the complex matrices of political economy, self-presentation, and material culture. Those who have done fieldwork in Japan and have observed uniform-wearing firsthand in the daily tedium of study, work, and play will appreciate the linkages the author offers." --Paul Noguchi, Bucknell University

"In his refreshingly unorthodox conclusion, McVeigh seizes this opportunity and celebrates the individuality that lurks in the shadows of Japanese Society." --The Japan Times

"The strength of this book lies in the use of secondary research to compose a comprehensive picture of uniforms in Japan. . . . [It] provides an interesting and well-informed analysis of the role uniforms play in Japan." --The Language Teacher

"Systematic in its approach, empirically committed, containing a host of insights, and theoretically informed . . . McVeigh presents us with a well-thought-out and thought-provoking formula for understanding this society." --i

"A rarity in the field of both fashion studies in Japan studies." --Fashion Theory


f0"It is an impressive work, and one that is likely to attract attention beyond the field of Japanese studies." --Japan Studies Review

About the Author

Brian J. McVeigh

Product Details

• Hardcover: 244 pages
• Publisher: Berg Publishers (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1859734855
• ISBN-13: 978-1859734858
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,254,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uniforms and Cuteness and Control and Protest, March 20, 2001

By 

Martin Lewison - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wearing Ideology: State, Schooling and Self-Presentation in Japan (Dress, Body, Culture) (Paperback)

McVeigh examines how clothing in Japan, specifically the uniform, acts both as social control and socializing mechanism, and also functions as a site for protest and differentiation. Along with the first part, which deals mainly with uniforms, there's also fascinating discussion of Japan's "cult of cuteness", an aesthetic which is fundamentally Japanese and which ranges from Hello Kitty to hardcore .... Did you know that some Japanese schoolgirls actually choose their schools based on how "cute" the school uniform is? Too much. Cool book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very serious book on uniforms..., August 22, 2003

By 

Michael Valdivielso (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wearing Ideology: State, Schooling and Self-Presentation in Japan (Dress, Body, Culture) (Paperback)

A very detailed book about uniforms in Japan, with major focus on school uniforms, but the book also deals with post-school uniforms in the work place and even in the home. Lots of examples and a solid foundation set on past studies, books and surveys. The author also shows the anti-uniform culture, which sometimes ends up being just as uniform. Formal uniforms vs. the cult of playful kawaisa (cuteness).
Really interesting, seeming to follow the changes within the life of the Japanese, from school uniforms, to the college rest period (where you wear whatever you want), to the uniform (and job)they will be wearing the rest of their life.