Gender and the Political Opportunities of Democratization in South Korea [Hardcover]

This book explores how political opportunities afforded by democratization, including the relative balance of power between conservative and progressive civic actors, shape power relations between men and women in post-authoritarian Korea. Jones reveals that organized women can make a difference - depending on their strategic choices and alliances, and the manner in which they negotiate evolving political institutions. Moreover, democratic consolidation need not be led by political parties, but can provide surprising opportunities for an organized civil society to press for a deepening of political and human rights.Modelling the Gendered Political Opportunity Structures of Democratization Setting the Stage: Historical Constraints and Democratization Dynamics The Korean Women's Movement: From Minjung Feminism to Gender Mainstreaming Competing 'Gender Coalitions': Progressive Allies, Fragmented Opponents and Contradictory State Interests The Political Institutional Matrix Identifying Access and Veto Opportunities Policy Change: Differing Logics of Political Contestation State Transformation: Creating a Women's Policy Machinery Infrastructure Women's Political Representation: Accounting for Gradualism Conclusions: Assessing Cultural Change and Theoretical Lessons

Nicola Jones wields a rich and compelling case study of South Korea to develop a dynamic model for studies of gender and democratization worldwide. Combining innovative methodology with astute analytical insight, Gender and the Political Opportunities of Democratization brilliantly illuminates the complex interplay, over time, of structure and agency, state and civil society, women's organizations and conservative cultural forces, gender policy and everyday practices. - Nancy A. Hewitt, Director, Institute for Research on Women, Rutgers University

Theoretically rigorous, empirically rich, and full of insightful policy prescriptions, this book definitely elevates the literature on Kl“$