Parasite single
Parasite single is a pejorative term for a person older than early adulthood still living with their parents at their parents' house,[1][2][3] remaining financially dependent[4] and avoiding the traditional adult lifestyle of marriage and children.[5] The term is not synonymous with hikikomori, recluse shut-ins.[4] Financial insecurity and lack of affordable housing are among the causes.[6]
Masahiro Yamada, a Tokyo Gakugei University[7] and Chuo University sociologist[8][3] and Tokyo University graduate,[9] coined the term in a newspaper article published in February 1997.[10] In its earliest uses in book publications, the term was used in Parasaito Shinguru (パラサイトシングル) by Sarada Tamako published by Wave Shuppan in 1998, and Parasaito shinguru no jidai (パラサイト・シングルの時代) published in 1999 by Chikuma Shobō.[8][11] Japanese in origin, the term has been used in other countries including South Korea.[1]
In 2006 more than 13 million parasite singles were estimated to be living in Japan.[7] In 2010 in the 30–34 age group, 47.3% of Japanese men and 34.5% of Japanese women were unmarried.[12] Surveys conducted in 2008 and 2013 by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in Japan showed that the number of Japanese men and women reporting to not be in any kind of romantic relationship grew by 10%,[13][14] but journalists and bloggers cautioned that “celibacy syndrome” is unscientific and based on cherry-picked data.[15] The Statistical Research and Training Institute estimated that in Japan in 2016 there were 4.5 million Japanese aged between 35 and 54 living with their parents.[11]
See also
- Aging of Japan
- Herbivore men
- Hikikomori
- Satori generation
- Shinjinrui
- N-po generation
- Sub-replacement fertility
References
- ^ a b Kim, Hyun-Ju; Hurh, Jeong-Moo. "Awareness of Lifestyle and Independence of Parasite Singles" (PDF). Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange.
- ^ Genda, Yuji (March 2000). "Youth employment and parasite singles". Japan labor bulletin. Japan Institute of Labour.
- ^ a b "Word Watch: parasite single". The Atlantic. August 2000.
- ^ a b Mahoney, Luke (May 5, 2020). "Disenfranchised parasite singles in Japan look to their parents to help find a spouse". Japan Today.
- ^ "Peggy Orenstein on Parasite Singles in Japan". To The Best Of Our Knowledge. NPR.
- ^ "Why Japan's 'parasite singles' refuse to get married, stay living with their parents instead". South China Morning Post. Agence France-Presse. 6 December 2019.
- ^ a b Tran, Mariko (3 July 2006). "Unable or Unwilling to Leave the Nest?". electronic journal of contemporary japanese studies.
- ^ a b "山田 昌弘". Chuo University.
- ^ "山田 昌弘" (in Japanese). Amazon.
- ^ LUNSING, Wim. "'Parasite' and Non-parasite' Singles: Japanese Journalists and Scholars Taking Positions". JSTOR. Social Science Japan Journal.
- ^ a b Miyazaki, Ami; Sieg, Linda (April 18, 2017). "Life's illusions catching up with Japan's middle-aged 'parasite singles'". Reuters.
- ^ Yamada, Masahiro (August 3, 2012). "Social Impact of a Declining Population Japan's Deepening Social Divides". Nippon Communications Foundation.
- ^ Haworth, Abigail (20 October 2013). "Why have young people in Japan stopped having sex?". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ "Celibacy syndrome hits Japan with more young people avoiding sex". News.com.au. 21 October 2013. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ Keating, Joshua (23 October 2013). "No, Japanese People Haven't Given Up on Sex". Slate. Retrieved 28 December 2014.