Random Statistics (Sorta)

Currently, I'm working on "real book" number two for my year of 24 "real books" (yes, I'm behind already) and I ran across something interesting. Or at least, I find it interesting.

The book is Race for the Exits: The Unraveling of Japan's System of Social Protection. It talks about the issues Japan's having with its social policy by focusing on two main topics: the change in Japanese large businesses (decline in lifetime employment, capital leaving, etc) and the change in the young women of Japan (choosing career over family, etc). Right now I'm reading a section that discusses the changes in this current generation of women vs. their mothers - more go to four-year universities, fewer want to be housewives and stay-at-home moms, etc, etc, and it mentions a survey that specifically asked about views towards childrearing.

While 72 percent of U.S. mothers and 54 percent of Koreans said they found child rearing to be a "pleasure," just 23 percent of Japanese mothers said so.

Okay, I know the book focuses on Japan and that 23% number is shockingly low. But check out the U.S. percent. 72%. That means that 28% find child rearing not "a pleasure." Which means one in four people you know that have kids? Apparently don't enjoy the experience. One in four!

And people wonder why I have cats.