Professor Seungsook Moon hosts a book talk about the latest publication – The Miscellany News

Professor Seungsook Moon hosts a book talk about the latest publication – The Miscellany News

On Friday, September 27, students, faculty and other members of the broader Vassar community gathered in the library’s Class of 1951 Reading Room to attend sociology professor Seungsook Moon’s lecture on her latest book, “Civic Activism in South Korea: The Intertwining “listening to democracy and neoliberalism.”

At 3 p.m., Light Carruyo, chair of sociology, introduced Moon and the impact of her scholarship, which is reflected in achievements such as a Fulbright Scholar Award, a endowed visiting professorship at Harvard University, and various editorial positions at academic journals. She has published numerous articles and three books: Militarized Modernity and Gendered Citizenship in South Korea (2005) and Over There: Living with the US Military Empire from World War II to the Present (2010), as well as her most recent. Her first two books were translated into Korean and published by Duke University, Carruyo said; She also noticed Moon’s enthusiasm for tango dancing.

Moon began her book lecture by discussing the relevance of critically examining democracy in America today in light of the upcoming presidential election. Within the discussion of democracy and its various interpretations, “Civic Activism in South Korea” adds a new perspective through its analysis of the relationship between democracy and neoliberalism in South Korean society. She further discussed non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that play an important role in South Korean civic activism.

NGOs and a subset of NGOs called civic organizations (Korean: 욱민운동단체) emerged in the late 1980s to mid-2000s and play a central role in the discussion of democracy and neoliberalism. Moon defines it through three moral codes that serve as a framework for understanding and reflecting on activism: 1) political and financial independence from the state, 2) pursuit of institutional and social change, and 3) emphasis on grassroots participation. The independence of civic organizations is particularly important because they are highly valued due to South Korea’s history of military regimes. If a civic organization were to lose its political or financial autonomy, it would lose its moral authority and public appeal – maintaining the organization’s image has significant implications.

Moon then explained her overarching research question: “How do ordinary women and men in South Korea attempt to solve common problems they encounter in their daily lives?” and her sub-questions discuss the relationship, the messy negotiations of mixing, and the simultaneous enablement and subversion between democracy and democracy Neoliberalism. She made it clear that she viewed democracy and neoliberalism as forms of rule and not as an entity or political system, leading to questions such as “How are people governed by the state?” and “How do they govern themselves in daily life?” which question the external and internal aspects of governance.

To answer these questions, Moon introduces the dualism of democracy and neoliberalism in civic activism—simultaneously expanding democracy through the protection and promotion of public resources while leveraging and empowered by neoliberal governance to achieve their goals. She described civic activism as both political and symbolic action: Activism is inherently political but also human and therefore symbolic in various ways for the people who interpret it. Although Moon wanted to focus her research on ordinary people and their experiences, she found that even in grassroots civic organizations, a hierarchy had formed based on individuals’ political and cultural capital. She also defined “혚치” or “collaborative governance,” which became popular in the mid-2010s. 혚치 describes a partnership between government, business and civil society, which she describes as a symptom of neoliberalism. Instead of a traditional, repressive, top-down expression of power, neoliberalism’s collaborative rule results in a softer, pastoral power that guides popular behavior. Because scholarly discussions of neoliberalism have focused on Western countries and the promotion of American democracy as the primary form of democracy, Moon’s book expands this debate through its discussion of democracy in South Korea and its challenge to the American definition of democracy.

Moon concluded her talk by discussing the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cuts a few weeks ago, which has influence both domestically through the prominent use of credit in this neoliberal economy and internationally as other countries may be influenced by U.S. financial decisions. After the discussion was open to questions and comments, book talk guests had the opportunity to purchase a signed copy of “Civic Activism in South Korea,” mingle, and enjoy the delicious food.