여성의 정치 재사회화 교육프로그램 개발 연구(I)

Abstract

This Study is the first part of the two-part study of developing educational program for women's political resocialization. The main purpose of this stage of the study is to establish a solid base for developing an educational program which will raise women's political consciousness and promote more active political participation in the future. This two-part research is based on our belief that lower levels of political awareness and participation among women than among men in Korea is due to different political socialization processes for females and males during their early development stages. Traditionally in Korea, there has been a clear distincion between women's and men's spheres, that is private and family sphere is for women, and public and societal sphere is for men. For example, the arena of politics has been considered for a man's world but not for a woman's and therefore from early on, girls are not encouraged to participate in any political activities while boys are encouraged to do so. Previous researches suggest that kindergarten and elementary school teachers as well as parents are the most important agencies in children's political socialization process. Studies also indicate that there is a significant relationship between individual's sex role identity and the status of political consciousness and attitude. In this study a survey research using national samples of elementary school students, teachers and parents was conducted in order to examine the relationship between individual's sex role identity and the status of political consciousness. Comparisons of frequencies, chi-square test, factor analysis and one-way analysis of variance were used in analyzing data. The findings revealed that in all groups, that is for students, teachers, and parents separately and for both females and males, feminine sex role identity group showed the lowest average political consciousness and attitude score among four sex role identity groups. Moreover, this pattern was more obvious in feminine sex role identity group among women in all subject groups. These results indicate that there exists a gender stereotyped political socialization in our society. In other words, it appears that Korean females are socialized to be less political than Korean males. Therefore, it was our goal to develop a political resocialization program specifically targeted for women. As a first step to fultill this purpose, based on the results of the survey data analyses, an educational program for raising political awareness for teachers in K-6 level(from kindergarten to 6th grade level) was developed. The main contents of the political resocialization program are guest lecture on Korean women and the politics, examination of existing sex discriminations in family, in school, and in social politics, reevaluation of development process of feminine identity and of femininity, assertive training and anger expression. Participants are encouraged to express and share their own experiences as a woman in society. Additionally, in order to test the effectiveness and the validity of this program, a two-day workshop using the developed program was held with kindergarten and elementary school teachers. After a careful evaluation and examination of the responses data and suggestions from teachers who participated in the workshop, the results will be used to complete the second half of the study of developing an educational program for women's political resocialization, which is already in progress. When the educational program for women's political resocialization is completed and appropriately utilized, we expect that children's, teachers' as well as parents' stereotypical sex role attitudes will be changed. Therefore, regardless of one's gender, our children will grow up to expand his or her potentials to the highest possible level as an individual, not as a woman or as a man. This will eventually help Korean women and men to become equal partners in political participation of this country and thus we will be a step closer to become a truly democratic society.