Thomas R. Klassen

The role of women in the South Korean labor force presents a paradox; notwithstanding a globally competitive economy, high rates of postsecondary education and legal gender equality, women continue to be second-class citizens in the workplace. South Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita exceeds the European Union average and has even surpassed that of some mature economies, yet a deep gender divide persists in the labor market. To understand the sources of the gender gap and women’s roles in productive and reproductive labor, this chapter focuses on two key aspects of contemporary South Korea. First, it examines the structure of the labor market and workplace practices. Second, it considers the broader social and political environment. The conclusion then looks ahead to evaluate the prospects for meaningful change for women workers in South Korea.

The SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic spurred a historic rise in blatant anti-Asian violence and microaggressions rooted in a dominant ideology of whiteness and belonging. This chapter focuses on international university students from South Korea to provide an important perspective for understanding the meaning and impact of racialized encounters. Student descriptions of racial incidents and interactions during the pandemic are examined using data from focus groups in four cities: Toronto, Saskatoon, Halifax, and Albany. International students’ experiences of racism and racialization were similar across Canada and the United States during the pandemic and racial encounters occurred in public spaces, with comments and behaviors that illustrate the enduring trope of fear and disease. At the same time, students recalled incidents in different ways, shaped by race relations, race ideology, and race discourse.

From 1985 to 2000, in an unprecedented development in Canadian politics, three different parties governed the province of Ontario, each for a five-year period. Each party sought to reform the province’s welfare program in keeping with its ideological position. The authors demonstrate the manner in which welfare policies interacted with prevailing economic and labour market conditions to create dramatic fluctuations in the number of welfare recipients. The analysis shows that governing parties generally sought to match policies to economic conditions, but were often unable to do so because of their ideological stance or because of policies inherited from the previous government. The authors’ findings also reveal that it was in fact the New Democratic Party, after 1992, that initiated a restrictive policy of welfare benefits and eligibility, a policy direction continued by the Progressive Conservative Party once it assumed power in 1995.