The socialisation of childcare and a missed opportunity through gender politics: the case of South Korea

Conference keynote


Lee, S. 2017. The socialisation of childcare and a missed opportunity through gender politics: the case of South Korea. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxx001
AuthorsLee, S.
TypeConference keynote
Abstract

The paper aims to investigate how the policy proposal to socialize childcare in South Korea was discarded by the Ministry of Gender Equality (MGE) under the Roh Moo-hyun government (2003–2007). Building on in-depth interviews and policy documents, the paper proposes that there was a policy shift in the MGE’s policy adoption resulting from the combined effects of path dependence and the dominance of neo-liberal policy ideas. I argue that these existing political realities hindered socialization efforts even when there was recognition of the need for public childcare provision within and outside the MGE.

The paper aims to investigate how the policy proposal to socialize childcare in
South Korea was discarded by the Ministry of Gender Equality (MGE) under the
Roh Moo-hyun government (2003–2007). Building on in-depth interviews and
policy documents, the paper proposes that there was a policy shift in the MGE’s
policy adoption resulting from the combined effects of path dependence and the
dominance of neo-liberal policy ideas. I argue that these existing political realities hindered socialization efforts even when there was recognition of the need for public childcare provision within and outside the MGE.

KeywordsSocialisation of care; Path dependence; South Korea; Childcare policy
Year2017
JournalSocial Politics
PublisherOxford University Press
ISSN10724745
14682893
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxx001
Web address (URL)http://hdl.handle.net/10545/621635
hdl:10545/621635
File
File Access Level
Open
File
Publication dates28 May 2016
Publication process dates
Deposited07 Jun 2017, 15:21
Accepted22 Jan 2017
ContributorsUniversity of Derby
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