Villages Astir deals with Korean rural communities that have been influenced by two civilizations: Confucian, with its emphasis on communal values and cooperation within the group, and Western, with its emphasis on the individual. Authors Turner, Hesli, Bark, and Yu focus on the changing patterns of attitudes and behavior of the rural people at two points of time covering the period when a government-sponsored program of community development (the Saemaul Undong) was a viable institution. The Saemaul program was designed to encourage people in their communities to increase their productivity and thereby improve their living standards. The study assesses the impact of the program in villages where the communal ties of Confucianism are still noticeable, in contrast with more loosely-knit settlements where the forces of individualism are stronger. As a point of comparison, the authors also examine differences between the villagers and rural migrants living in two districts of Seoul.
An introductory chapter presents the major political developments and cultural features in Korea from the Yi dynasty through the Roh regime. In setting the stage for the interpretation of survey interview data, the authors present election statistics and economic indicators for each of the villages under consideration. They examine the influence of monetary incentives and state subsidies as inducements for the acceptance of community development schemes. Villages Astir is unique in its study of attitudinal and behavioral responses to agents of change as these interact with persistent traditions. Also included is an analysis of the effects of modern community and urban experience on political participation. Recommended for Asia scholars and development specialists.
About the Author: JOHN E. TURNER is Regents' Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Minnesota. He has authored or co-authored ten books, including The Political Basis of Economic Development, Labour's Doorstep Politics in London, and The Methodology of Comparative Research.
VICKI L. HESLI is Assistant Professor of Political Science and Co-Director of the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Program at the University of Iowa. She has published articles dealing with the former Soviet Union and is co-editor of Public Opinion and Regime Change.
DONG SUH BARK is Professor in the Graduate School of Public Administration at Seoul National University and is a member of the Korean National Academy of Sciences. He has published in several areas, including the development of Korean public administration.
HOON YU is Professor at Seoul National University's Graduate School of Public Administration and President of the Korean Association for Public Enterprise. He is the author of several books on the Korean budgetary system and on public finance.
