From Developmental State to Developmental Society? The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Recent Korean Development and Possible Lessons for Developing Countries

International Studies Review, Vol. 10, pp. 53-71, No. 1, 2009

19 Pages Posted: 15 Aug 2011

Date Written: August 1, 2009

Abstract

In the 1980s and 1990s, rapid market oriented reforms, liberalization and privatization (“shock therapy”) in developing and transformational countries caused economic and social problems that began to undermine the legitimacy of political democratization and market reforms itself. Scholars in the field of transformation and development theory found that market coordination alone was not able to fill the void left by a weak or weakening state. In this essay, we look at the case of Korea to find out if an active civil society can substitute functions of the withdrawing developmental state since the 1980s. We show that civil society organizations (CSOs) in Korea have been relatively effective in influencing political processes, shaping public opinion, compensating the weakness of political institutions, and contributing to general development. Korean CSOs achieved this remarkable impact despite substantial organizational problems and a relatively unfavorable socioeconomic and political environment. This effectiveness and the synergy between state and civil society make Korean CSOs very interesting to study for development scholars. Korea might offer some valuable lessons on how to improve advocacy CSOs in an unfavorable environment similar to that of many developing countries.

Keywords: Civil Society, Civil Society Organizations, NGOs, Development, Democratization, Korea

JEL Classification: O53, O20, P16

Suggested Citation

Kalinowski, Thomas, From Developmental State to Developmental Society? The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Recent Korean Development and Possible Lessons for Developing Countries (August 1, 2009). International Studies Review, Vol. 10, pp. 53-71, No. 1, 2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1908972

Thomas Kalinowski (Contact Author)

Ewha Womans University ( email )

11-1 Daehyun-dong
Seodaemun-gu
Seoul 120-750, Seoul Seoul 120
Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

HOME PAGE: http://www.thomas-kalinowski.net

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