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The Socialization of Childcare and a Missed Opportunity Through Path Dependence: The Case of South Korea
- Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State and Society
- Oxford University Press
- Volume 24, Number 2, Summer 2017
- pp. 132-153
- Article
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The paper aims to investigate how the policy proposal to socialize childcare in South Korea was discarded by the Ministry of Gender Equality (MGE) under the Roh Moo-hyun government (2003–2007). Building on in-depth interviews and policy documents, the paper proposes that there was a policy shift in the MGE’s policy adoption resulting from the combined effects of path dependence and the dominance of neo-liberal policy ideas. I argue that these existing political realities hindered socialization efforts even when there was recognition of the need for public childcare provision within and outside the MGE.