Beyond the policy rhetoric: the limitations of gender mainstreaming in South Korea relating to women and childcare

This article examines the limitations of the gender mainstreaming discourse regarding the issue of childcare by women in South Korea, an area of responsibility that was transferred from the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW) to the Ministry of Gender Equality (MGE)1 in 2003. Through employing a discursive institutionalism approach, this article articulates that whilst the gender mainstreaming discourse has been interpreted at the surface level of politics, it has been formulated differently behind the scenes due to various policy interests. I argue that the discourse has remained at the level of superficial political rhetoric with underdeveloped understanding about the relationship between childcare and gender, thus retaining a stereotypical view of women as caregivers.N/

気相重合法による農業残渣と高分子複合材料の界面制御

九州工業大学博士学位論文（要旨） 学位記番号:生工博甲第214号 学位授与年月日:平成26年3月25日九州工業大

Has childcare become less of a burden in South Korea? Exploring the nature of pre-and post-reform childcare provision

This paper aims to explore whether any changes in institutional settings and the conditions for care practice have occurred in South Korea following a notable policy shift in childcare provision that took place during the Roh Moo-hyun administration (2003-2007). In order to assess the changes, two dimensions of care provision are introduced: affordability and adequacy. Empirical evidence of what has transpired is discussed in the way of data from large scale national surveys and census reports. By comparing changes in employing childcare services on a longitudinal basis for the period 2002 to 2009, the paper critically evaluates the limitations of the policy changes with respect to these two dimensions. The comparison of the changes in the institutional settings and conditions in care practice for each year assist in evaluating where the policy has and has not altered the burden of childcare in Korea

Gender mainstreaming in South Korea – a critical analysis through discursive institutionalism around the issue of childcare

The paper aims to reflect critically on the impact of the gender mainstreaming movement upon the issue of childcare in South Korea. To achieve this, I build on data generated from in-depth interviews with key policy actors who participated in relevant policy implementations as well as policy documents collected and analysed through a discursive institutionalism approach. The paper explores two aspects of gender mainstreaming discourse in South Korea and is especially related to the transfer of childcare duty from the Ministry of Welfare and Health to the Ministry of Gender Equality; how it was interpreted in front of politics (‘discourse as content’) and formulated at the back of it (‘discourse as process’). I argue that the discourse of gender mainstreaming around the transfer decision was variously approached by different policy interests and constrained by the dominant gender role regarding childcare (rhetoric policy dependency)

Graduate Recital:Sung-Hee Lee, Piano

Kemp Recital Hall Tuesday Evening November 28, 2006 8:00p.m