Ethnic Nationalism in Korea: Genealogy, Politics, And Legacy (Studies of the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center) [Paperback]

Gi-Wook Shin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 080475408X | ISBN-13: 978-0804754088 | Publication Date: April 3, 2006 | Edition: 1

This book explains the roots, politics, and legacy of Korean ethnic nationalism, which is based on the sense of a shared bloodline and ancestry. Belief in a racially distinct and ethnically homogeneous nation is widely shared on both sides of the Korean peninsula, although some scholars believe it is a myth with little historical basis. Finding both positions problematic and treating identity formation as a social and historical construct that has crucial behavioral consequences, this book examines how such a blood-based notion has become a dominant source of Korean identity, overriding other forms of identity in the modern era. It also looks at how the politics of national identity have played out in various contexts in Korea: semicolonialism, civil war, authoritarian politics, democratization, territorial division, and globalization.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Taken as a whole this book gives a helpful insight into the history of Korean nationalism and its effect on policy and society, thereby providing valuable background information on 20th century Korean social history. It views the history of modern Korea exclusively within the context of ethnic nationalism . . . [T]his book fills an important gap in social sciences and history within Korean studies regarding the development and effect of Korean nationalism. Taking Korea as a case study this work also represents a significant contribution to research on nationalism, showing that a particular ethnic nationalism has contributed partly towards a positive political and social development."—Hee Seok Park, International Quarterly for Asian Studies

"This compelling empirical study is another important contribution from Gi-wook Shin. The sophisticated, balanced and nuanced treatment he brings to bear . . . will make it a valuable resource for political scientists, sociologists, cultural anthropologists, and, indeed, all who seek to understand the complex and elusive phenomenon that is nationalism."—New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies

"[O]ne of the first scholarly works to scrutinize and historicize the ethnic nationalism that most Koreans, and observers of Korea, usually take for granted. As such, Ethnic Nationalism in Korea is a valuable, critical case study of one of the most ethnically 'pure' nation-states in the world, a study that holds many interesting and useful implications."—American Journal of Sociology

"When the multidisciplinary discussion of nationalism was in its heyday a decade or two ago, I remember some frustration that the Korean instance was not considered more prominently. With Ethnic Nationalism in Korea, Gi-Wook Shin sets out to remedy this situation. The resulting combination of theoretical engagement and broad macro-historical and sociological perspective on the phenomenon of Korean identification based on notions of 'bloodline and shared ancestry' (p. 2) makes the book perhaps the first text to recommend to those students or colleagues with comparative interests." —Korean Studies

From the Inside Flap

This book explains the roots, politics, and legacy of Korean ethnic nationalism, which is based on the sense of a shared bloodline and ancestry. Belief in a racially distinct and ethnically homogeneous nation is widely shared on both sides of the Korean peninsula, although some scholars believe it is a myth with little historical basis. Finding both positions problematic and treating identity formation as a social and historical construct that has crucial behavioral consequences, this book examines how such a blood-based notion has become a dominant source of Korean identity, overriding other forms of identity in the modern era. It also looks at how the politics of national identity have played out in various contexts in Korea: semicolonialism, civil war, authoritarian politics, democratization, territorial division, and globalization.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press; 1 edition (April 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080475408X
• ISBN-13: 978-0804754088
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #241,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Education & Reference > Genealogy > Online Research
  • #100 in Books > History > Asia > Korea

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Very solid study of Korean nationalism, September 9, 2011

By 

Sylveste (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ethnic Nationalism in Korea: Genealogy, Politics, And Legacy (Studies of the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center) (Paperback)

Very solid overview of Korean nationalism. The first half of the book argues that the development of a strong sense of ethnic nationalism in Korea was not inevitable, but rather a product of the historical interplay of competing ideologies (pan-Asianism, International Socialism, etc). The second half looks at a number of more particular issues (education, agrarianism, minjung, etc). The first half was outstanding - tight, persuasive and interesting. The second half was a bit more rambling, but at times quite interesting. A good place to start learning about Korean nationalism, though I imagine it would be easier going if you had some grounding in 20th century Korean history.

5 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Descriptively analyzing the separation and differences in the communist north and democratic south of the Korean peninsula, June 5, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ethnic Nationalism in Korea: Genealogy, Politics, And Legacy (Studies of the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center) (Paperback)

Ethnic Nationalism: Genealogy, Politics, And Legacy by Gi-Wook Shin (Director of the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center) explores the roots, politics, and legacy of Korean ethnic nationalism. Descriptively analyzing the separation and differences in the communist north and democratic south of the Korean peninsula, Ethnic Nationalism addresses the general identity formation of the two Koreas. A core addition to academic library International Studies reference collections, Ethnic Nationalism is strongly recommended to the attention of political science, sociology, and cultural anthropology students studying the contrasts and similarities of North and South Korea through their collective history of anti-colonialism, civil war, authoritarian politics, democratization, territorial division, and globalization.