Korean society - Charles K. Armstrong

The second half of the Twentieth Century has seen South Korea transformed from an impoverished, war-ravaged nation to one of the most successful economies in East Asia. This has been accompanied by a military authoritarian regime to a vibrant democracy. While most analyses of Korean politics have looked to elites to explain political change, this collection examines the role of ordinary people in this dramatic transformation.;Taking the innovative theme of 'civil society' - voluntary organizations outside the role of the state which have participated in the process of political and social democratization - the essays collected here examine Korea as one of the most dramatic cases in the world of ordinary citizens participating in the transformation of politics: Topics include: * Comparisons of Korean democratization to the experiences of post-authoritarian regimes elsewhere in the world * Comparisons of the theory of civil society as developed in Western Europe and America * The legacy of Korea's Confucian past for contemporary politics and society * Close examinations of various civil society movements, including the labour movement, women's movement, student movement and religious organizations. Conceptually innovative, up-to-date and timely, this book will be an invaluable resource for students of contemporary Korea, Asian politics and the global struggle for democracy.