Revitalizing movement identity: the case of the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center in South Korea, 1991-2006

Abstract

This study examines the revitalization of a feminist organization's movement identity while the organization is cooperating with the state in institutional politics . Through a case study of the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center in South Korea, this study analyzes why and how the organization revitalized its movement identity in institutional politics, and which strategies facilitated the revitalization of its movement identity, as well as which challenges the organization faced in the process of its revitalization. The findings show that a series of conflicts with state agencies in the implementation process of sexual violence law led the organization to revitalize its political and cultural activities. The findings also show that this revitalization of activism was possible while the organization has continually recovered its movement, identity in several ways, but the organization faced external challenges.( e.g., state control) and internal challenges (e.g., lack of financial independence). I discuss the theoretical and empirical implications of this study.