150189 VO+UE Analysis of Shifts of the Power in the Modern Korean Society (2007W)

Is 'Korea' a myth of one's own making? Can it ever be? Contemporary 'Korea', not as simply given but as constantly in formation through complex, socio-political myths of nation, state, power and globalization is the focus of the course. How is contemporary 'Korea' produced, if it is, by the politics of how we know, remember, imagine? By the shifts of power and meaning that these activities engender? Where cultural, economic, political and sociological interpretations of 'Korea' offered by new generations produce a plurality of 'Koreas', what sorts of differences does that make? The class will emphasize the societal dynamics of the developed Korea which are reflected in government institutions. This will be illustrated in the case of Korean modernity, where the decline of strong presidential arrangements is giving way to new and uncertain institutional arrangements in last 4 years. The knowledge, mass media, and the nongovernmental authority of Korea benefit all from the shift of power away from a strong executive. But the empowerment of these spheres is not necessarily translated into enhanced influence and efficacy on the part of the state vis-à-vis society. One would expect that the shift in the balance of power between state und society, the transformation of civil society itself and the impetus towards democratization would be more pronounced in societies which have undergone a relatively successful process of industrialization. One would also expect, ceteris paribus, that the degree of heterogeneity of a given society not only reflects the extent to which civil society has been transformed, but also affects the likelihood of civil society being able to develop the organization principle, in which would enable it to create and sustain a viable democratic regime. This course will so introduce the authority mechanism of Korea in different types of social powers, the key concepts surrounding them, and the theories required to understand it. It will also outline social inequalities in different type of suppression focusing attention on the comparison of state and various civil societies.