Transformations in Twentieth Century Korea: (Routledge Advances in Korean Studies)

This edited collection traces the social, economic, political, and cultural dimensions of Korea’s dramatic transformation since the late nineteenth century. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the chapters examine the internal and external forces which facilitated the transition towards industrial capitalism in Korea, the consequences and impact of social change, and the ways in which Korean tradition continues to inform and influence contemporary South Korean society. Transformations in Twentieth Century Korea employs a thematic structure to discuss the interrelated elements of Korea’s modernization within agriculture, business and the economy, the state, ideology and culture, and gender and the family. The essays in this volume encompass the Choson dynasty, the colonial period, and postcolonial Korea. Collectively, they provide us with an original and innovative approach to the study of modern Korea, and show how knowledge of the country’s past is critical to understanding contemporary Korean society. With contributions from a number of prominent international scholars within sociology, economics, history, and political science, Transformations in Twentieth Century Korea incorporates a global framework of historical narrative, ideology and culture, and statistical and economic analysis to further our understanding of Korea’s evolution towards modernity.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Part 1: The Agrarian Transformation 1. Neither Sprouts nor Offspring: The Agrarian Roots of Korean Capitalism 2. Agricultural Cooperative Development and Change: A Window on South Korea's Agrarian Transformation Part 2: Business and Industrial Transformations 3. Causes, Consequence, Relevance: Korea's Industrialization 4. Transformation of Korean Capitalism and the 1997 Economic Crisis: A Case Study of the Hyundai Business Group 5. Chaebol Development, Management Practices and Managerial Ideology Part 3: Transformations in the State 6. Development Without Democracy: The Political Economy of US-South Korea Relations, 1958-1961 7. Cut From the Same Cloth: Bureaucracies and Rulers in South Korea, 1948-1979 Part 4: Transforming Culture and Ideology 8. Confucianism, Democracy and the Individual in Korean Modernization 9. Monumental Histories: Manliness, the Military and the War Memorial 10. Modernization Theory, Ideology and Economic Success: Putting Korea’s Development in Comparative Perspective Part 5: Social Transformations: Labour, Women and the Family 11. Modernization, Gender Roles and Marriage Behaviour in South Korea 12. Women's Incorporation into the Urban Economy of South Korea Conclusion South Korea: In Pursuit of Korean Modernity