Dorinne K. Kondo

A very subjective account, more autobiography than hard sociological research to be honest. The author, an American of Japanese heritage, spends some time in Japan working in a sweet factory and secretly conducting research. The book has two main facets: her own experiences of being a Japanese-looking foreigner without the cultural or linguistic knowledge expected of her, and her observations of workplace relations in the factory, particularly the gender-based differences. I found it very interesting in general, though care should of course be taken in accepting any of the observations or interpretations given this is a one-off case study and a very subjective one at that. The author's immersion in her own research is both a strength and a weakness of her work.… (meer)