• 한국사회정책
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 2016

This study evaluates the strategic capacity of Korean labor union movement by examining policy alternatives and strategic steps that the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions have shown in response to Park Geun-Hye government's labor market structuring policies. While the government-led labor reform was carried out as intended, organized labor has not simply failed to achieve progressive labor reforms to enhance employment security, but also to exert their strategic capacity effectively for preventing Park's labor market flexibilization policies. The two national centers have not been able to exert their strategic capacity (such as intermediating, framing, articulating, learning) for mobilizing the resources of internal solidarity, network embeddedness, narrative discourse, and organizational infrastructure. In particular, the formation and diffusion of public discourse is a significant part of strategic capacity of labor unions dealing with the labor politics of labor market restructuring, since organized labor, which is under the unfavorable constraints of limited movement resources and power imbalance with the business circle, needs to mobilize massive support and participation from union members and civil society organizations. In this light, it becomes of more importance for labor union movement to exert their strategic capacity toward internal solidarity and network embeddedness in the stage of labor market reforms. Under the recent stage of labor reforms, however, the labor unions has not harnessed their movement resources effectively, but undertaken their protest in a traditional manner, thereby losing its public efficacy from inside and outside. Moreover, it is necessary to build and activate the network of organic solidarity among organized labor, civil society organizations and progressive political parties, in order to cope with the pro-business coalition of power elites for accomplishing pro-labor reforms.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.75
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• pp.9-42
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• 2016

This study critically examines the social and personal meanings that luxury consumption have in contemporary Korean society through understanding the consumption experiences of men in their 30s. Interviews with nine male consumers who are committed to luxury brands, especially those that produce suits, watches, fountain pens, and shoes, were conducted to collect qualitative data. We found that participants are satisfied with the whole process of luxury brand consumption including buying, using, and managing and try to consume the products for self-expression, congruent with their lifestyle and identity. Individuals have learned how to consume the luxury brand from their role models. Their consumption follows hybrid and postmodern patterns and combines luxury brand products with non-luxury one. In contemporary Korean society, using the luxury products is considered necessary to achieve some advantages in social contexts and can be also functioned as a sort of social signifier and self-help, as well as, a tool for self satisfaction or well-being.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.169-185
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to apply the clothing teaching-learning plan from a critical science perspective developed to improve teenager's empowerment, and to examine it's effects. A total of 12 plans of 5 modules(Module A to E) developed from critical science perspective were implemented for four weeks. Second-year students (N 42) of K Middle School located in Y-si, Gyeonggi-do participated in the study in the study, and the survey results were analyzed quantitatively using t-tests. For the quality analysis, The student interview data, action reports and etc. were collected, and qualitative analysis was conducted using empowerment model as the analysis framework. The findings of study are follows. First, two hours each for modules A to D, and four hours for module E were assigned, because module E included an action project. In the action projects by for groups, students were expected to take the lead in conducting the activities such as developing promotional posters, posting opinions online, promoting videos, informing how to make recyclables, and donating to the community. Second, as a result of analyzing the pre-implementation vs post-implementation empowerment scores, a significant difference was found in social-political empowerment (t=-2.06, p<0.05). According to the analysis of student interviews and students project's reports, students were found to become aware of empowerment through the instruction. On the intrapersonal level, positive self-awareness and self-efficacy, and on the interpersonal level, smooth communication and democratic decision-making were confirmed. This study is meaningful in that regular a home economics instruction class from a critical science perspective have made a quantitative and qualitative impact on teenagers' improvement empowerment, providing opportunities to find their roles in the soceity, cooperate with others, and behave responsibly as members of society.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.19-37
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• 2008

The youth unemployment issue has not shown any improvement in years. The purpose of this study was to observe how employment issues affecting university students influence their life aims, self-efficacy, view of reality, view of the future, and life satisfaction. 239 students from three universities located in Seoul and Gyeonggi province were assessed through the instrument FLL and questions about employment issues, their life aims, life satisfaction and also their employment perspective. A total of 34 items of the FLL were divided through factor analysis into six higher life aims, self-love, family love and interpersonal aims, personal-financial aims, social-public aims, moral aims and political and ideological aims. Using Cluster analysis, three group profiles were found depending on the employment perspective such as a better view of reality, better self-efficacy, and better life satisfaction. A t-test was conducted in order to compare the two groups classified according to favorable or unfavorable employment perspectives. No significant differences existed between the groups in the perception of youth unemployment or in social-demographic factors, such as gender, age, and academic year. However, in life aims, the unfavorable group showed significantly higher interest in the domains of family love and interpersonal aims, personal -financial aims, and social-public aims than the favorable perspective group. Conversely, this group showed a significantly greater negative view of reality in most life domains, as it evaluated that its aims are more poorly achieved than the comparable group. Also, the unfavorable perspective group showed a lesser degree of self-efficacy in most life domains and the same in the category of life satisfaction, i.e., lesser satisfaction in all life domains except for family love, and moral aims. However, no significant difference existed between the groups in the view of the future. The results were discussed in relation to other social-cognitive factors for life satisfaction found in preceding studies.