Globalisation And Labour Struggle In Asia: A Neo-gramscian Critique Of South Korea's Political Economy (international Library Of Economics)

"Korean development has not occurred in a vacuum, but is a specific series of events that provide insight into the way that international struggles for hegemony affect local environments. Ongoing struggle between workers and the state in the former 'hermit kingdom' show that despite appeals to nationalism and human nature seen in training and education programmes to assist economic and social 'progress', Phoebe Moore argues that Korea has not become a 'hegemonic' nation, even since democratization in the early 1990s, but has known ongoing struggle in the face of pressures to develop and to catch up with advanced nations. The neo-Gramscian school theorises that world history reveals periods of hegemonic stability at some points such as during the period of 'Pax Americana', but this account of Korean development demonstrates that this speculation cannot be fully justified. Through making creative links between forms of state, education programmes, and labour relations and the global climate throughout a series of 'historical blocs', the book covers the story of South Korean development with all fairy tales removed. From Japanese colonisation to contemporary neoliberal social and economic polisymaking, the book notes that during each historical bloc, conditions for trasformismo, or a limited concession programme to prevent complete grass roots revolution, have been evident. Using Gramsci's ideas of passive revolution and trasformismo to understand totalitarianism and exploitation, the book reveals how accelerated development has matched global economic relations but has not resulted in hegemony at the national level using the case of South Korea. This book shows that revolution is not always emancipatory, but can become a passive, elite, reformist display of elite practice that is becoming increasingly transnational in character. Through the case study of Korean development in the context of international power relations, Moore argues that the concept of global hegemony, popular in the International Political Economy school today, is fundamentally, a myth."--Bloomsbury Publishing. How has South Korea's development influenced and been influenced by world events? The neo-Gramscian school theorises that world history reveals specific periods of hegemonic stability such as during the post World War II period of 'Pax Americana', but this new account of Korean development demonstrates that this speculation cannot be fully justified. Through making creative links between forms of state, education programmes, labour relations and the global climate throughout a series of 'historical blocs' such as the period of Japanese colonisation, Phoebe Moore covers the story of South Korean development. She observes that all economic development in South Korea has been carried out through 'passive revolution' driven by elite, frequently supported by external forces, against the will of a large part of the population, namely the working classes. In this original contribution Moore's critical International Political Economy approach sheds light on one of the fastest growing Asian economies and the 11th largest economy in the world. In doing so, she looks at the relationship between socio-economic change, passive revolution and its impact on the popular hegemony thesis. How has South Korea's development influenced and been influenced by world events? What light can it shed on the way that international struggles for hegemony affect local environments? Phoebe Moore seeks to address these questions critically, from the perspective of International Political Economics, and so provides important insight into one of the fastest growing Asian economies. She examines the neo-Gramscian school theories – that world history reveals specific periods of hegemonic stability, such as during the post World War II period of'Pax Americana'– and refutes this position through an original account of Korean development. Instead, she observes that all economic development in this country has been carried out through'passive revolution'driven by an elite, frequently supported by external forces, against the will of a large part of the population, namely the working classes. Moore draws out the relationships between socio-economic change, passive revolution, hegemony struggles and global politics, making this a key resource for Asian political economics, labour relations and international politics. Contents......Page 6 List of Figures and Tables......Page 8 Introduction......Page 12 1. Why 'IR'? Why Gramiscan 'IPE'?......Page 38 2. History of World Orders: International Struggles for Hegemony......Page 66 3. Korea's History of Passive Revolution......Page 88 4. Crisis Response and IMF Restructuring: Passive Revolution in the Knowledge Economy......Page 130 5. Conclusion......Page 190 Notes......Page 204 Bibliography......Page 208 Index......Page 246 Introduction -- 1. Why 'IR'? Why Gramscian 'IPE'? -- 2. History of World Orders: International Struggles for Hegemony -- 3. Korea's History of Passive Revolution -- 4. Crisis Response and IMF Restructuring: Passive Revolution in the Knowledge Economy -- 5. Conclusion