Contemporary South Korean Society A Critical Perspective [Paperback]

The growing importance of the Korean economy in the global arena and the spread of the so-called Korean wave in Asia mean there is an increasing desire to understand contemporary Korean Society. To this end, this book provides a critical and progressive analysis of the diverse issues that impact on and shape contemporary Korean society at both local and national levels.

The contributors address issues and movements which include:

• The state and regime
• Human rights
• Gender
• Civil society and social movements
• Culture
• Religion
• Domestic and migrant labour
• Welfare

The chapters in this volume provide a critical perspective on Korean society, and draw upon interdisciplinary research from across the social sciences. With contributions from leading Korean scholars and academics from around the world, this is a welcome addition to the growing field of Korean Studies, and will be of great interest to students and scholars interested in Korean studies, Korean and Asian culture and society, and Asian studies more generally.

Preface, Hee-Yeon Cho, Lawrence Surendra, and Hyo-Je Cho1. The Structure of the South Korean Developmental Regime and Its Transformation:An Analysis of the Developmental Regime of Statist Mobilization and Authoritarian Integration in the Anticommunist Regimentation, Hee-Yeon CHO 2. Gender Inequality and Patriarchal Order Recontexualized, CHO Uhn 3. Regionalism: Its Origins and Substance with Competition and Exclusion, Kim, Wang-Bae 4. Economic Development and Women's Status in Korea, KONG Mee-Hae 5.Social Class and Income Inequality in Korea,