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Peculiarities of East-Asian Welfare System: Does an Independent Welfare Regime of East-Asia Exist?

Chung, Yun Tag 1

1충남대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study aims to advance debates on an separate East-Asian welfare regime. For this, I set research themes which could help systematically analyze the studies of an independent East-Asian welfare regime protagonists and opponents with an accent on the period before and after 1990s and on the perspective of international political economy. In discussion, I reconstructed the findings according to the research themes and argued that the hermeneutical advantage of an independent East-Asian welfare regime is very limited: Firstly, while Esping-Andersen sought the criteria of welfare regime in welfare- internal factors, the protagonists of East-Asian welfare regime sought them mainly in welfare-external factors. Secondly, the causes of welfare regime construction are not clear enough. Thirdly, there is little comparison with underdeveloped(non-core) countries from the perspective of international political economy. Fourthly, it is not appropriate to equate the periods before and after the 1990s, when democratization and extensive welfare reform took place. Besides, I argue that ‘productivist’ policies can be found not only in East-Asia and that the preposition social (welfare) development is proportional to economic growth could be false. Therefore, I argue that an independent East-Asian welfare regime or peculiarities of East-Asian welfare system can be hardly accepted any more.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.