Reluctant Intimacies

Beata Świtek is Assistant Professor at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

“This exemplary ethnography adeptly navigates the intricate trajectories of caregiving and immigration, emerging as a guiding light for anthropologists studying the complexities of the social care sector in Japan.” • Social Anthropology/anthropology sociale“Specialized readers will benefit from ´Switek’s ethnographic insights into cross-cultural body work and national discourses on culture, religion, and race… [It] is a welcome addition to Japanese studies and to anthropological debates about migration, care work, and nation.” • Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (JRAI)"As the first ethnographic account of migrant care workers in Japan, Reluctant Intimacy is a welcome addition to the body of literature on migration and care, and serves as a useful resource for anthropologists, sociologists, and migration studies researchers and students." • Social Science Japan“[The author] masterfully weaves together the tense strands of mobility, economy, culture and care in a way that is clear, smart, and compelling.  While much of the book will be of particular interest to Japan specialists, Świtek’s main contributions are to our understanding of intimacy, familiarity and cultural imaginations in an aging society, and she frames these concepts with brief but effective references throughout. For this reason, and for its sensitive ethnographic descriptions, Reluctant Intimacies would be appropriate for use in undergraduate or graduate courses and should be seen as a model for anthropologists writing on the complexities of care and immigration.” • Anthropology & Aging“For ethnographers of Japan and Asia, as well as the scholars of migration, this is a valuable addition to the literature.” • Medical Anthropology Quarterly“Beata Switek shares her insights about this important topic by skillfully blending qualitative, ethnographic data focused on the various participants directly and indirectly involved in the care of Japanese elderly with comprehensive literature and statistical information.” • International Migration Review“Świtek’s use of theory is impressive, wide-ranging, and, above all, clear. Students at all levels would learn much from reading Reluctant Intimacies.” • The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology“This study is based on in-depth research involving a good analysis of the articulation of national identities, sense of belonging and local labour markets with the social and bodily intimacies related to care for the elderly in Japanese institutions… It is an essential contribution to the understanding of the cultural, personal and social relations in care work.” • Ratna Saptari, Leiden University“Świtek’s study is a significant contribution to studies of migration in relation to national imaginations, as well as to the analysis of carework in a changing global context. The book provides both rich ethnographic detail and insightful generalizations and is a compelling analysis of how cultural and racial ideologies find expression in the mundane interactions of everyday life. The author’s linguistic fluency and reflections on her positionality also enhance the study immensely. This book is a real gem.” • David L. McConnell, The College of Wooster

• List of IllustrationsAcknowledgementsNote on LanguageList of AbbreviationsMap 1. Distribution of Indonesian caregiver candidates who arrived in Japan in 2008Map 2. Distribution of Indonesian caregiver and nurse candidates who arrived in Japan in 2008IntroductionChapter 1. Imagining Life and Work in JapanChapter 2. Working IntimaciesChapter 3. Intimate ManagementChapter 4. National PredicamentsConclusion: Reluctant IntimaciesBibliographyIndex