2024, Vol.22, No.2

Civil Society and NGO 2024 KCI Impact Factor : 0.84

pISSN : 1599-8568
https://journal.kci.go.kr/civil&NGO

This study analyzes how the Korea YWCA navigated the balance between legal/institutional demands and organizational identity through its restructuring process. The Korea YWCA, with over 100 years of history, has been dedicated to promoting women's rights and social justice. However, under the pressure of legal institutionalization, the organization faced challenges in maintaining its autonomy and core identity, which led to the strategic decision to undergo restructuring. Grounded in theories of legal institutionalization in civic movement organizations and organizational change, this study employs the Grounded Theory approach for its qualitative methodology. The analysis reveals the various strategies employed by the YWCA to maintain organizational autonomy and identity while accommodating external legal pressures. The findings indicate that the Korea YWCA experienced a reduction in organizational autonomy and a dilution of its civic movement identity as a result of legal demands. Key conflict drivers included a centralized decision-making structure and intergenerational tensions within the organization. To address these issues, the YWCA implemented strategic responses such as governance restructuring, expanding youth participation, and ensuring the autonomy of regional branches. Additionally, internal education programs were introduced to help members understand the balance between legal compliance and organizational identity, thereby enhancing their capacity to proactively respond to legal requirements. Striking a balance between legal demands and organizational autonomy remains a critical task for civic movement organizations to sustain their activities in an evolving legal and social landscape.

This study addresses the development and challenges of tripartite institutions on the African continent. These institutions, which are not well-known in South Korea, make up a significant portion of the member states of International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (AICESIS) and were established relatively early in many countries. For the purpose of this research, tripartite consultation institutions are categorized into labor advisory bodies, social dialogue bodies, and civil dialogue bodies. The study also examines the historical background in which trade unions, by participating in the independence movement, acquired political and social attributes. In conclusion, tripartite institutions in Africa emerged in the 1960s during the independence period, influenced by the political systems of the colonial powers. These institutions were established to enable trade unions and social organizations, which had contributed to the independence process, to participate in the national reconstruction process. Subsequently, in the 1990s, these institutions were reformed or expanded during the democratization process. A recent notable development is the emergence of social dialogue institutions centered on labor agreements in Tunisia. As Africa faces new changes, social dialogue is confronted with the challenge of enabling social actors to exert more decisive influence on socio-economic issues, through innovation aimed at including the informal economy and facilitating multilayered dialogue.

Social capital is a public good composed of trust, cooperative reciprocity norms, and horizontal networks. This study will examine the differences between non-metropolitan areas at risk of local extinction and metropolitan areas with large populations (Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon) using the social capital approach. The research methodology was quantitative analysis using a questionnaire. The results of the study showed that, first, there was no difference in trust variables between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in Korea. Second, the significant difference in social capital factors between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas was in the network variable. Third, the results of the regression analysis of social capital and community participation in non-metropolitan areas showed that promoting local residents’ sense of settlement through community participation is important in alleviating local extinction. Finally, efforts are needed to build trust and rebuild networks in non-metropolitan areas.