Transforming the Paradigm of Wo/men's Human Rights Through Intercultural Pastoral Care: Narratives of Vulnerability & Contradiction in Korean Wo/men's Lives in the Colonial and Postcolonial Period Open Access

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to complicate the essentialized trope of the "poor and suffering Asian woman" in the wo/men's human rights paradigm. It critiques the han-filled victim subject in Korean feminist the*logical discourse. The dissertation provides a genealogy and critique of a the*logy of han, predominant in the narratives and theories of and about Korean wo/men's lives. In arguing that a the*logy of chŏng is troubling as well, it traces its genealogy to the period of Japanese colonial rule of Korea (1910-1945).

In desiring to move towards a post-nationalist trajectory, as well as a post-identity framework for Asian/American feminist the*logical discourse, the dissertation argues for a better understanding of feminist legal scholar, Martha Fineman's theory of vulnerability. This project argues that the essentialized trope of the "han-filled woman" strategically being used by the wo/men's rights movement perpetuates and substantiates a wounded-victim identity, as well as codifies her powerlessness. Rather than focusing on the essentialized victim subject in the discourse of wo/men's human rights, this project examines the fluidities of our agency by looking at the vulnerable subject. Post-nationalist, vulnerability analyses of two cases studies, "comfort wo/men," and camptown prostitution in South Korea are presented. This work demonstrates that under situations of domination from forms of power such as racism, patri-kyriarchy, colonialism, and imperialism; wo/men have expressed forms of resistance, agency, subjectivity and self-determination.

Table of Contents

Introduction -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
PART ONE
Chapter 1 Problems and Issues in the Wo/men's Human Rights Movement------18

Introduction: Pyrrhic Victories of the Wo/men's Human Rights Movement---------------18
1. Historiography: 19th and Early 20th Century Wo/men's Human Rights-----------------23
2. Religion, Culture, and Wo/men's Human Rights-------------------------------------------32
3. Empathy Reconsidered: Cultural Imperialism and Practices of Care--------------------49
4. Plurality, Interculturality, and Ambiguity in the Human Rights Discourse-------------60
Conclusion-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------65
Chapter 2
Pastoral/Spiritual Care, Religion, and Human Rights-------------------67
Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------67
1. Paradigm Shifts in the Field of Pastoral Care: A Brief History---------------------------71
2. Pastoral Care and Human Rights Issues -----------------------------------------------------87
3. Intercultural Pastoral Care in a Postcolonial World----------------------------------------92
Conclusion-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------96
Chapter 3 Asian/American Feminist The*logy: Discursive Politics of Han &
Chong------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------99
Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------99
1. Historiography of Asian/Americans in U.S. History-------------------------------------103
2. The Problem of Essentialization in Asian/American Feminist The*logy--------------117
Conclusion-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------132

Chapter 4
Genealogy of the Modern The*logical Understanding of Han-------134

Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------134
1. The Colonial Period, Korean Identity Formation, & Nationalist Historiography-----135
2. Chŏng: A Western Understanding----------------------------------------------------------145
3. Colonial Origins of Han----------------------------------------------------------------------152
Conclusion-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------164
PART TWO
Chapter 5
A Web of Vulnerability & Subjectivity------------------------------------166
Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------166
1. Fineman's Theory of Vulnerability---------------------------------------------------------167
2. Pastoral The*logy of Vulnerability---------------------------------------------------------183
Conclusion-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------195
Chapter 6
Korean "Comfort Wo/men" In the Wo/men's Human Rights
Movement: A Pastoral Care Analysis-------------------------------------------------------198
Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------198
1. Korean "Comfort Wo/men" & Han---------------------------------------------------------201
2. Pastoral The*logical Analysis of the "Comfort Wo/men" Issue------------------------216
3. Vulnerability & Resilience-------------------------------------------------------------------231
Conclusion-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------235
Chapter 7: Camptown Prostitutes: Gendered Citizenship, Nationalism, &
Pastoral Care-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------238
Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------238
1. Vulnerability, Governmentality, & Gendered Citizenship-------------------------------242

About this Dissertation

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School	Laney Graduate School
Department	Religion
Degree	PhD
Submission	Dissertation
Language	English
Research Field	Religion, General
Keyword	Pastoral theology
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Lartey, Emmanuel Y, Emory University
Committee Members	Fineman, Martha, Emory University An-Naim, Abdullahi A, Emory University Yi, Hyang-soon, University of Georgia

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