1. South Korea's Neoliberal Patriarchal Turn: Back to the Strong Mothers? Hyoung Cho (Sociology, Ewha Womans U.) Haejoang Cho (Cultural Anthropology, Yonsei U.) University of Maryland Jan. 30, 2008

2. 1. Intro: What to Share Today? Creative Education Summit 2008 (Hong Kong)

3. 1. Intro: What to Share Today? Creative Education Summit 2008 (Hong Kong)

4. 2. Debates over the Abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family

5. A Brief History of MOGEF 1988 The Second Ministry of State for Political Affairs specialized in gender issues (President Roh Tae Woo, Ex-Army General) 1998 The Presidential Commission on Women's Affairs (Kim Dae Jung) 2001 Ministry of Gender Equality 2004 Infant care transferred to MOGE (Roh Moo Hyun) 2005 Ministry of GE & Family 2008 Merge and Abolish? (Lee Myung Bak)

6. Feminist Institutional Reforms and Main Activities of MOGEF Institutional reforms: – 1980s: Equal Employment Law; Family Law revision – 1990s: Laws on daycare, sexual and family violence prohibition – 2000s: prohibition of prostitution, abolition of household-headship Current policy focus of MOGEF: – Gender mainstreaming – Early child care system – Supporting diverse family forms (single parent families, multicultural families, etc.)

7. Why Abolish MOGEF? “MOGEF is the ministry of only those who advocate for women's power.” (Lee Myung Bak) "Women's rights have been greatly improved." (general opinion) "MOGEF is a ministry that deprives men of basic rights through women-centered policies” (an internet petition, 2006)

8. Netizen Backlash Internet Petition to abolish MOGEF in June 2006

9. National Poll on Government Downsizing Reproduced from Joong-Ang Daily (Jan. 2008)

10. Protest against the Restructuring of Government (1) National Human Rights Commission

11. Protest against the Restructuring of Government (2) Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Jan. 16 : A Statement by the Korean Association of Women's Studies against the abolition of MOGEF – “not a department to be restructured by simple function/issue goes beyond ‘instrumental rationality’/need to strengthen and expand for sustainable future of a caring, sustainable, vital Korean society” Jan. 19 : Decision made to merge MOGEF into the Ministry of Health and Welfare – 27 out of 43 Congresswomen declared their opposition to the merging Jan. 22: A 1,000,000-person petition launched to protest the merge From ‘Shaken Patriarchy’ to ‘Shaken Women’s Study?’

12. 2008 Myung Bak Lee: The Return of Fathers? 747 THE GREAT CANAL

13. Crisis & Resurgence of Patriarchy 1910-60s: Lost Nation, Absent Fathers 1960-80s: The Economic Miracle, Return of Fathers 1970-80s: Sons’ rebellion against military authoritarian regime of Fathers 1997: Financial Crisis (IMF) – Abrupt Fall of Father’s Authority

14. Crisis of Patriarchy 1997-2007: - GDP $10,000- 20,000 (per capita) - the rise of youth, women, and minorities Liberals: “Ten Years of Diversity and Cultural Vitality” Conservatives: “The Lost Ten Years”

15. “Ten Years of Diversity and Cultural Vitality” “The Lost Ten Years”

16. Resurgence of Patriarchy: Who’s afraid of feminists? Male discontent and antagonism – Triggers backlash: Court overrules veterans’ advantage issue (1999) – Prohibition of Prostitution (2004) – “Doen-Jang Girls”: cosmopolitan egoistic and lavish Divide and Conquer Strategy – Old Power vs. New Power Who cares about international pressure or the United Nations? – Self-Confidence – Money and Power rules the world

17. 3. Reflecting Feminist Movements: Who We Are and What We Have Done 1980s: Revolutionaries 1990s: Alchemists 2005-: Wizards?

18. 1980s, the Era of Revolutionaries Korean Women’s Association United (1987~) & other feminist advocacy NGOs - Focus on women’s labor, domestic violence Alternative Culture Group (1984~) - Focus on changes in everyday life by creating alternative public spaces Korean Association of Women’s Studies (1984~)

19. Books by Alternative Culture Group

20. 1. Equal Parents, Free Children (1985) 2. Open Society, Autonomous Women (1986) 3. Feminist Literature (1987) 4. Dominant Culture / Male Culture (1988) 5. Oppressing Education, Growing Children (1989) 6. Housewives: The Interruptions and Liberation (1990) 7. Rewriting Romantic Love Stories (1991) 8. Rewriting the Stories of Korean Sexuality (1991) 9. Women Make Women in Words (1992) 10. The World that I Hope to Live In (1994) 11 & 12. Rewriting the Stories of Marriage (1996) 13 & 14. Rewriting the Stories of Teenagers (1997) 15. Women Finding a Job, Changing the World (1999) 16. Women's Body, Women's Age (2001) 17. Whom to Live With: Rewriting Korean Families (2003)

21. 1990s, the Era of Alchemists Feminism leading the era of “cultural liberalization” The Second Wave of Feminism by young feminists: politics of gender and sexuality, politics of identity (www.unninet.com) Further institutionalization of women’s studies: graduate and undergraduate majors, general education courses Films and Dramas for and by women:

22. Films and Dramas for and by women Girls’ Night Out (1998)One Fine Spring Day (2001)

23. Films and Dramas for and by women Take Care Of My Cat (2001) Marriage, a Crazy Business (2001)

24. Films and Dramas for and by women A Good Lawyer's Wife (2003) A Smile (2002)

25. Three Groups of Daughters Christened by Feminism 1) “Young feminists” - politically correct, self righteous with strong desire of being oneself (politics of identity) 2) “Fabulous singles” (Gold Miss, Alpha Girls, King-Kong Girls) - enjoy earning and purchasing power, mind fashion and appearance, “I am not feminist but...” 3) “Manager Moms, Self-determined Wives” (Daechi-dong mom) – Set clear goal for sending children to the top class universities, and managing their Jobs and Marriages

26. Manager Mom, the Queen

27. ... And Her Filial Children (The Generation of $880-Bindae-tribe)

28. Sons of Feminism and Strong Mothers Brothers of Feminists- Brothers of King Kong Girls – Winners of Neo-Liberal Market Economy? – Losers: NEET, Freeter, Internet Junkie, or Locked-in Loner? Instrumental Husbands: Goose, Eagle, and Penguin Daddies

29. A Reflection: Feminist Discourse Meets Neo-Liberalism Emphasis on autonomy, self-determination, and self-enhancement (individual empowerment) - Meets neo-liberal ideology: “No One to Depend, but You Must Survive On Your Own” Institutionalization of progressive women’s NGOs - partnership with the government in the Kim & Roh administration - Loss of the critical/creative grounds for struggle against the expansion of neo-liberalism Male antagonism against feminists grew bigger - the romantic anti-authoritarian ethos and anti-male feelings - the collapse of the male-female partnership

30. Suggestion 1: Rethink “the Personal is Political” The context of empowerment – Civil society overridden by the Market – The ultimate goal of life is nothing but Personal Success and Accumulation of Wealth – Under Neo-liberalism, everything is personal -- “The Personal is Political” for Children and Men also? – Reflection on anger and antagonism on their side – How to deal with Others’ Personal Scar and Pains “the Personal is Cultural”

31. Suggestion 2: From Nuclear Family to Village Hope among those who recognize collapse of communication and crises of caring Critical insight into Global Casino Capitalism and Techno Mascular Risk society Alternative Images of wo/man and villages

32. Suggestion 2: From Conjugal Nuclear Family to a Village Hope among those who recognize collapse of communication and crises of caring Critical insight into Global Casino Capitalism and Techno Mascular Risk society Alternative Images of wo/man and villages

33. Suggestion 2: From Conjugal Nuclear Family to a Village Hope among those who recognize collapse of communication and crises of caring Critical insight into Global Casino Capitalism and Techno Mascular Risk society Alternative Images of wo/man and villages

34. Suggestion 2: From Conjugal Nuclear Family to a Village Hope among those who recognize collapse of communication and crises of caring Critical insight into Global Casino Capitalism and Techno Mascular Risk society Alternative Images of wo/man and villages

35. Suggestion 2: From Conjugal Nuclear Family to a Village Hope among those who recognize collapse of communication and crises of caring Critical insight into Global Casino Capitalism and Techno Mascular Risk society Alternative Images of wo/man and villages

36. Suggestion 2: From Conjugal Nuclear Family to a Village Hope among those who recognize collapse of communication and crises of caring Critical insight into Global Casino Capitalism and Techno Mascular Risk society Alternative Images of wo/man and villages

37. Suggestion 2: From Conjugal Nuclear Family to a Village Hope among those who recognize collapse of communication and crises of caring Critical insight into Global Casino Capitalism and Techno Mascular Risk society Alternative Images of wo/man and villages

38. Suggestion 2: From Conjugal Nuclear Family to a Village Hope among those who recognize collapse of communication and crises of caring Critical insight into Global Casino Capitalism and Techno Mascular Risk society Alternative Images of wo/man and villages

39. Suggestion 2: From Conjugal Nuclear Family to a Village Hope among those who recognize collapse of communication and crises of caring Critical insight into Global Casino Capitalism and Techno Mascular Risk society Alternative Images of wo/man and villages

40. Suggestion 3: Making a Village: Village of Alternative Culture Group, a case Back to Basics: Enjoy Reading classics Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt, Agamben: “Homo Sacer” and “Bare Life” Chantal Mouffe: “the Return of the Political” Bruno Latour's: “Reassembling the Social" Michel Foucault: “Protecting the Society” Marshall Sahlins: “The Stone Age Economics” Seyla Benhabib, “The Right of having rights” (Post-modern and Post- Colonial)

41. Village of Alternative Culture Group Creative Learning Community: Listening, relating and transcending Attics for Children’s Joyful Learning Yoga Class and Dining Tables for Villagers Micro Credit for Young People to Setting up Social Enterprises Schools for teenage Citizen Reporters

42. Coming of Wizards? More Wizards than Alchemists who can dispel fetishism of Neo liberalism Revitalization by caring and creative communities where generations coexist happily and children can safely grow

43. Thank You.