Fostering a political society in South Korea through participation in futures studies

Abstract

For the purpose of this dissertation, democracy will be understood as a political system in which people create and organize alternative futures and then choose from among these alternatives in order to perpetuate a better community life. Based on this definition, I argue that Korea has not fully developed democracy. One of the reasons for this has to do with the underdevelopment of a political society wherein people can learn how to explore diverse futures, create and develop alternative policies accordingly, and plans for the improvement of their lives. In a political society, individuals can be redefined as being political whenever they pursue alternatives to the status quo. In this sense, the word "political" can be reinterpreted as "actively involved in creating alternatives." Through this dissertation, I address the possibility that a political society can be nurtured by laypersons' participation in foresight activities that encourage individuals to improve self-efficacy in terms of their ability to impact their futures. In order to assess the possibility, I provided Koreans with tailored foresight activities and found that these activities helped cultivate a can-do attitude toward the future.