2016, Vol., No.51

Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.39

pISSN : 1598-4230 / eISSN : 2586-7601
https://journal.kci.go.kr/ihss

This study explores the meaning and value of reconstruction of the public, specifically a conversion from the state-oriented public to a new public centered around civil society, focusing on the concepts of “urban” and “the common.” Starting from an analysis of the relationship between humans and the common, this study first discusses how the common has existed and changed over the historical transition from modern to post-modern times. In addition, this study seeks to define the nature of the common, and to establish the best practices for achieving it under a transformed post-modern social structure. Confronting the logic of the system of capital and state, post-modern reflection on the lost common life leads to the need of a new urban common centered around civil society. While the state common in modern times has paid attention to homogeneity, the urban common should be “a common of differences” based on individual autonomy and singularity, and “an alternative common” that can overcome the logic of capital and the state. This study offers an answer in the common to the question of how the multitude, consisting of diversity within a majority, can attain unity in the post-modern turn.

This study aimed to provide policy implications through an empirical comparative analysis of the party structure, operations, and grassroots participation in the political process before and after the abolition of local parties via data from the "Political Party Activity Outlook and Financial Report" published annually by the National Election Commission over a twenty-year period between 1995 and 2014. The results of the analysis suggest that the main goals of political party reform efforts, including alleviating the high-cost, low-efficiency political processes, improving the transparency of political party operations, and the nurturing of "true" party members, were not accomplished even after the abolition of the local party chapter scheme. On the contrary, it caused more problems such as excessive centralization of party power, weak control of party members, lack of lower-level party organizations, continuation of political indifference among voters, and weakening of political participation by the public. The analysis has been conducted to contribute to the improvement of political party participation and the participatory democratic process within the Republic of Korea.

The current study examines ways in which family communication patterns of Asian-American families influence communication and psychosocial behaviors of the children. In-depth interviews and focus groups with 17 Asian-American young adults reveal various communication issues between them and the first generation parents. First, the study found that communication patterns of Asian-American families are influenced by 1) the children’s internal identity struggle; 2) parents’ limited roles in the family; 3) children’s unwillingness to seek advice from their parents; 4) parents’ willingness to give advice; 5) parents' information-oriented and “Asian” communication style; and 6) children’s avoidance and passive communication style. Findings revealed that children’s identity issues and their willingness to maintain a conformity-oriented communication style play a role in shaping Asian-American family communication patterns. The study provides suggestions for strengthening mental health of young adult Asian Americans who have family communication problems, and offers suggestion for subsequent research.